Renting in Paris

No other topic is dearer to Parisians (at least those who do not own their own apartment) than that of renting an apartement in inner Paris (intramuros).

When I first arrived in Paris, and hugely ignorant of how things are done here, I was completely shocked by some of the apartments offered by the estate agents that were considered to be in a condition ready for rental.

Let me start from the beginning. To look for an apartement, you can either deal directly with the owners who advertize in newspapers (for example, particulier à particulier) or do it via a real estate agent. Ever since the boom in real estate (prices have tripled in the past 8 years) there are real estate agents everywhere, by the way. Normally, apartments advertized by agents would conform more to the market price and, at least I believed, would be of certain standard of rentability regarding the condition of the apartments. Wrong.

Having contacted different agents, I was shown a number apartments that made me cry a river thinking of my beautiful apartment in Melbourne or in New York. Indeed, Paris is old, so one must prepare oneself for strange apartments that actually come from dividing big apartments into smaller ones to adapt to modern times and more expensive life.

An apartment I visited in the Marais (one of the oldest districts in Paris and now one of the most expensive too) was a studio that had a long hallway that juts off from the living/sleeping room. Feeling rather non-plussed by the size of the living room I eagerly went to the hallway only to find it end in a wall. The hallway goes nowhere at all ! Rather amused or bemused, I asked the agent what one could possibly do with a long hallway that goes to nowhere. Enthusiatically, she thought I could turn it into a cute workspace with book cases and a small table. Well, I guess if you are really really thin, but frankly I dont see how I could put a table there, let alone sit on a chair to use the table.

Still in the same area, I visited an apartment with a very interesting bathroom. Many apartments apparently did not have their own toilet or bathroom and these were added later in very interesting places, nook and cranies. The bathroom in this particular apartment that I visited had one fit for very small people. Basically, you had to bend and take a shower whilst crouching or sitting on your butt as the ceiling of the shower stall was no more that 1 m above the floor ! I could not fathom taking a shower in interesting positions while half asleep. Next, I said to my agent.

On the subject of toilet/bathroom in weird places, I have indeed lived in an apartment whose toilet was located in the closet. So there you were, sitting on the toilet starting at your clothes and thinking about your coming out of the closet many years ago only to find yourself in one again doing things you never thought you would do (in a closet). In the picture to the right, you see a small bathroom that manages to include a sabot or French style bathtub that is only half the size of regular American or Australian bathtubs. You crouch in the water that goes up to your bellybutton and voila. Don't even think of inviting someone else in.

I visited next a furnished apartment, rare at that time though there seems to be more and more of this type of rental these days. The apartment was obviously decorated by someone who likes bold patterns and bringht colors as evidenced in the wall paper, the floor and all the furniture and who is not afraid to mix and match. I felt I had entered into a bad copy of an impressionist painting. I think the decoration was meant to be reminiscent of Grandma's house. Well this Grandma definitely was a fan of Janis Joplin and smoked a bit too much of something.

Still, when you look for an apartment via an agent, you visit the apartment individually or at worst with a couple other people. When dealing directly with the owners, often they have an open house and there would inevitably be a long line of potential renters waiting to visit the apartment.

Now, accompanied by 40 others people wanting the same apartment as you, you would have to give them the 'dossier' of application (The same dossier is to be prepared as well when dealing via an agent). The so called dossier or application file would include copies of your salary slip for the last three months, your identity card or passport, information on bank accounts, letter from your employer, and once accepted, you have to give them a check for the whopping amount equivalent to two months rent as a security deposit, a first month rent, and in the case of renting via an agent, the agent's fee that usually equals the rent or more.

Don't hold your breath for news after giving them your dossier, when there are these many people interested in the apartment, there will undoubtedely be someone who earns more than you do, have been on a job longer than you do or have a better guarantor than you. A guarantor often is asked, a friend or a family member who co-sign to say that they would pay should you decide to disappear and not pay the rent or simply do not pay.

I finally got an apartment after 3 months of searching. But I was very choosey and wanted to live in a specific neighborhood (in fact, specific streets). I have lived here now for 9 years and have just, merde, received a notice from the owner via the agent. They wish to take over the apartment for a family member. Indeed in France, the owner can only kick a renter (who pays regularly of course) out if they wish to sell the apartment (in which case, they have to offer to sell it to the renter first) or to live (themselves or a family member) in the said apartment. So, I will have to begin the who cycle all over again.