Finding an Unfurnished Apartment

But if my current landlord decides to take his apartment back next year, I'll be looking again and in the current market I'm not sure my search will be as easy as it has been in the past.

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Stacy: the French are predicted to feel the economic crunch (as well as the rest of the world) ...
The longer you've been in France and have French landlords who will vouch for you as being a "good pay," the easier you'll find it will be to rent digs.


Some French are predicted to lose jobs and their pay checks won't mean so much!!!

Well... on this subject I've been trying to stick to the topic of unfurnished apartments, and so far I've only rented furnished ones. I was actually thinking of looking for or starting another topic about furnished apartments and also vacation apartment rentals. Anyway, I'll be the first to admit I've been very lucky. I found my last three apartments through Craigslist (which, quite frankly, is a method I hesitate to recommend now) at prices I could afford and with landlords who didn't mind that my situation and paperwork are somewhat atypical. But if my current landlord decides to take his apartment back next year, I'll be looking again and in the current market I'm not sure my search will be as easy as it has been in the past.

The problem is that in France the process to evict renters is very difficult and long, so landlords want to be very careful in choosing their tenants. It's certainly understandable, but it makes it harder for prospective renters to find a place.

Minette -- don't think it's a slam dunk. On the other hard, some landlords prefer US tenants.

1 - they generally add improvements to the apartment and most vacate the apartment at the termination of the lease. Some French stay and stay and it's not easy to evict them because France is extremely pro-tenant

Stacey and Karen -- reading through this thread last night, I have the sense that it's really hard to get an apartment (long term). Am I reading too much into it or am I correct? Were your experiences daunting?

My experience has been that French landlords are will to take a signature. Whatever you do, try NOT to be forced into taking a personal bank guarantee.

One costs a fortune and ties up your money.

If you're employed by a multi-national company, you can often get them to put down the money for you. It's definitely something anyone being sent here should try to negotiate as part of their relocation.

I've found that unless you're employed by a multi-national company, French individuals don't want to guarantee your lease and it's a lot to ask of anyone.

If you don't pay up, they're responsible.

Has anyone tried http://www.particuliers.be/
It's a lot of work ... but.

You're right, those who don't have a French guarantor can be asked to put a year's worth of rent in escrow as a "caution" or "caution solidaire". There's also a "caution bancaire" which is basically a credit agreement with a bank which charges a commission to provide the guarantee for you without you having to deposit an entire year's worth of rent.

By the way, this is not to be confused with the "dépot de garantie", which is the deposit you pay before moving into an apartment.

I don't have any agencies or non-agencies to recommend, really. I urge CAUTION for people trying to search on their own through sites like craigslist and other expat sites as there are a huge number of bogus ads placed by scammers. Going through an agency is easiest for many people, even with the agency fee. Your advice for a lawyer is also good, because the laws are constantly changing and the fine print isn't always easy to understand, even for French renters.

Stacy: I know some people who've been asked to put a year's rent in escrow - and they don't collect the interest.
Are there any non-agencies you recommend?
I know there are some excellent sites. One word of advice, ALWAYS have a lawyer review the fine print. It's money well spent. Too many people in their enthusiasm sigh on the dotted line and end up regretting it.

If one has unlimited funds, finding one is not that difficult. Looking on a more limited budget is a different story.

Also, because leases for unfurnished apartments are 3 years in duration, landlords tend to be very careful about their renters and from what I've heard have been more demanding about deposits, references, guarantees, verification of employment and income, and such. Whereas they used to require an income equivalent to 3 times the monthly rent, now it's not uncommon for them to require 4 or more times the monthly rent.

To take the original poster's example of an unfurnished 3-bedroom apartment in a decent area, they would probably be looking at €2200-3000 or more a month for rent plus charges, so that would mean a required monthly income of €6600-9000 (3x rent) or €8800-12,000 (4x rent), or anywhere from about $9220 to $16,760 at the current relatively favorable exchange rate (last week it would have been $9742-$17,714). Apartments in this price range tend to be in the double-digit arrondissements and not in the center of Paris.

Prices in the near suburbs have gone up as well, so while you may get more square footage for your money, you may not necessarily find lower rents.

I'd like to hear if people have had luck finding Paris apartments. There appear an increased number on the market.
Are you finding that you are able to negotiate lower rents??

We will be moving to Paris in September and are looking for an unfurnished 3 bedroom apartment. We have 2 small children, so are looking for a family area, with parks, etc. Any suggestions on location and on finding an apartment? Is 2000 Euros reasonable for this? I know it will depend on the area also.

Is an agent the best way to search and get an apartment? Any suggestions on how to find a nice place without paying more than necessary would be appreciated. Merci