House to rent

[Hardy]

Hi

I am wanting to move to the South of France, but I am struggling to find information on renting a property for long term at least 6 mths to a year. I need 2 bedrooms, garden. It is for myself, my husband, baby and 2 cats. We aren't limited to a particular area, but roughly between Grand Canyon du Verdon and the coast (San Tropez area) would be ideal.

We also need to find work. I have done accounts in England but am willing to do something different. My husband works as an artist, but could also teach watersports or do personal security.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

One thing you should be aware of is that the standard lease for residential property in France is for 3 years. Shorter than this and you're usually looking at a furnished flat or house - and that changes the applicable terms quite a bit. (Those three year leases can be broken under a variety of circumstances.)

But you're up against one of those chicken and egg problems. To rent, you normally need to prove your income, which means you need a job. And to find a job, it's handy to be able to say you are located somewhere nearby.

On the job front, how well do you and your husband speak French? With your knowledge of "anglo-saxon comptabilité" and fluent English, you could probably contact the interim (i.e. temp) agencies in the area and see what they have to offer. But they'll want you to have at least conversational French and probably an up-to-date resumé in French and in French format. (Differs slightly from what you may be used to, especially in tone, but generally fairly easy to set up.)

Your husband may have to decide what route he wants to pursue. To teach watersports, he'd probably have to register with the local or regional authorities to have his credentials recognized. (The French place great faith in certificates and "qualifications" especially for instructors.) As an artist, he could freelance, but would also have to register as an "artisan" in order to get social insurance coverage.
Cheers,
Bev

[Hardy]

Thanks for your reply.
3 years would be fine. Would we still have the same problem if we were able to pay say 6 mths rent in advance? Where can we find these properties? They seem to be eluding me at the moment!
Our french is poor at the moment, we hope to improve on it when we live in France, but I appreciate that finding jobs may be tricky without it.

Regards

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Hi and welcome to the forum.

One thing you should be aware of is that the standard lease for residential property in France is for 3 years. Shorter than this and you're usually looking at a furnished flat or house - and that changes the applicable terms quite a bit. (Those three year leases can be broken under a variety of circumstances.)

But you're up against one of those chicken and egg problems. To rent, you normally need to prove your income, which means you need a job. And to find a job, it's handy to be able to say you are located somewhere nearby.

On the job front, how well do you and your husband speak French? With your knowledge of "anglo-saxon comptabilité" and fluent English, you could probably contact the interim (i.e. temp) agencies in the area and see what they have to offer. But they'll want you to have at least conversational French and probably an up-to-date resumé in French and in French format. (Differs slightly from what you may be used to, especially in tone, but generally fairly easy to set up.)

Your husband may have to decide what route he wants to pursue. To teach watersports, he'd probably have to register with the local or regional authorities to have his credentials recognized. (The French place great faith in certificates and "qualifications" especially for instructors.) As an artist, he could freelance, but would also have to register as an "artisan" in order to get social insurance coverage.
Cheers,
Bev

[Bevdeforges]

Finding a house to rent can be tricky without a decent command of French. Most of the online sources are all in French - Particulier à Particulier (for owners who want to rent directly without paying an agency fee), various immobilier sites and local newspapers and magazines online.

Try googling "immobilier" and the name of some of the larger towns in the area you're considering. Not all estate agencies list their rental properties online, though.

The other way to go is to simply make a holiday run to France and visit the estate agencies in person to inquire about rentals. Rental agents require a hefty fee up front - but only if you rent one of the properties they showed you. (Be very careful not to let two agents show you the same property - if you wind up renting it, they both are entitled to their fees!)

Dealing directly with a landlord is probably the best way to negotiate "unusual" terms - like prepaying 6 months' rent - but be prepared to find that landlords who rent direct to tenants may not always speak much English.
Cheers,
Bev