Looking for reputable rental agencies on the Net - any experiences?

[eveline]

Hi Everyone,
My partner and I (and our baby daughter) are moving to Paris from Australia this September for 1 year. There are so many rental agencies on the website that can organise fully furnished, long term accomodation, but wanting to know if anyone can recommend an agency they have dealt with? Also, is it a good idea to make a booking and pay the deposit from Australia (that is without seeing the apartment first) or should we check into a hotel for a week or so upon our arrival in Paris and then check out the apartments in Paris before we commit to anything? Ideally, we'd love to have the accomodation sorted before we arrive in Paris, but can we trust the agencies on the Net? Any help or info is much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Ev

[giantpanda]

Originally Posted by eveline

Hi Everyone,
My partner and I (and our baby daughter) are moving to Paris from Australia this September for 1 year. There are so many rental agencies on the website that can organise fully furnished, long term accomodation, but wanting to know if anyone can recommend an agency they have dealt with? Also, is it a good idea to make a booking and pay the deposit from Australia (that is without seeing the apartment first) or should we check into a hotel for a week or so upon our arrival in Paris and then check out the apartments in Paris before we commit to anything? Ideally, we'd love to have the accomodation sorted before we arrive in Paris, but can we trust the agencies on the Net? Any help or info is much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Ev

Hi!

All agencies work over the net.

On general, according to from which country you come, you will get the impression that French agencies still need to learn quite a lot.

There are very few which is would put into the upper bracket, and some of these were run by British, living in France.

So in all cases, you need to learn the basics about renting or buying to be able to check.

In Paris the situation is completly different, because it is a different market.

I always wonder that people look for agencies.

I look for objects I am interested in - do not really necessary rely on one agency to find you what you want. The more the better.

Yours,

gianptanda

[Worldwide Worker]

Hi Eveline

Welcome to the forum. Having worked in many places it is always dangerous to commit to accommodation before you have seen the place. All to often the agents make out the place to be fantastic (that is their job) and when you see it, it does not even get close to the expectations.

I would suggest booking into a hotel or self catering accommodation and then you can have the agents take you around and you can see the places physically. Just use the web to get an idea of what is available and price range.

Good luck and enjoy France. Paris is a great city.

[Bevdeforges]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I would urge you to go with "plan B" - check into a hotel for a couple of weeks on arrival in Paris. They actually have these "apart-hotels" in Paris now - where you have a kitchenette and can live almost like normal (not have to dine out every meal, etc.) for a month or so while you look for a place.

The rental laws in France are such that you don't want to rent any place without taking a look at it first. There are potential "gotchas" in any apartment that you simply can't judge from the Internet, and rental agencies are only interested in collecting their fee (from the tenant).

I went apartment hunting with a friend a few years ago and we found a lovely flat on a main street - light, airy, etc. After we saw it, we went to visit a friend of hers who lives in the area and he warned her that the flat was directly opposite a rather notorious (and very noisy) biker bar. The neighborhood was lovely and quiet during the day (when we were looking at flats) but around midnight things get lively. With no air conditioning in most flats, you don't want to have to keep your windows closed on summer nights.

Or, try FUSAC (it's an English language want ad magazine) F U S A C (check the "big ads" for agencies, the "small ads" for individual flat rentals) and rent a short-term furnished flat for a month or so when you first arrive and are looking for long-term rentals. If the short-term rental turns out to be not quite what you wanted, you only have to put up with it for a month or so and you've probably learned something about where you do or don't want to live.
Cheers,
Bev

[eveline]

Thank you so much for your advice so far - I am now really thinking of renting an apartment for say 2 wks in Paris initially to get a feel of the place until we commit long term.

kind regards,

Ev

[Worldwide Worker]

Eveline

Believe me you will not regret that decision.

Take care and have fun in Paris.

[Ingrid]

Hi there,

My husband and I and our baby daugter are moving to Sydney in August. We own a flat in Paris and we are plabnning on renting it furnished; this Friday we selected 3 agencies that seamed ok: Capitale Partners; Paris Attitude and Paris Housing Services.

[eveline]

Hi Ingrid,

I've also found 'Paris Attitude' to be ok, at least they seem helpful over the Net anyway. Have you placed your apartment for rent with these three agencies you mentioned? Are you looking for short or long term rental? We are looking for accom in Paris (furnished) from 10th Aug to 10th Nov 2008. Might this suit your situation? If you have chosen an agent already, might I be able to contact the agent to get some details of your apartment?
Thanks for your response.

[Ingrid]

Originally Posted by eveline

Hi Ingrid,

I've also found 'Paris Attitude' to be ok, at least they seem helpful over the Net anyway. Have you placed your apartment for rent with these three agencies you mentioned? Are you looking for short or long term rental? We are looking for accom in Paris (furnished) from 10th Aug to 10th Nov 2008. Might this suit your situation? If you have chosen an agent already, might I be able to contact the agent to get some details of your apartment?
Thanks for your response.

Hi,

We are just about to sign with these 3 agencies, so our flat is not online yet but I could send you picture if you'd like (it is a large 2 bedrooms with a balcony and a view to the Eiffel tower). We are leaving Paris 09th august and landing in Sydney 10th august so our flat in fact is available from 10th August, the only thing is that we want to rent it for 6 months minimum. Let me know.

[eveline]

Hi Ingrid,
I would love to see photos of your apartment. You can email them to me at <snip> however, problem is, we need apartment in Paris from 10th Aug to 10th Nov only as we are committed to an apartment in Venice from 10th Nov to 10th Feb 09. But after Venice we plan to return to France and stay until July 26th - we haven't decided where in France though, maybe Paris again. We might however decide to stay in France 2009 - 2010 and so if the arrangement doesn't work this time Ingrid, we could, if all goes well rent your apartment sometime in the future?
I have found in general that agencies charge such high agent fees, especially Paris Housing Services. They charge 1 months rent for the agents fee, therefore if we want to rent somewhere for 3 months only, we need to pay an extra month just in agents fee and then a VAT tax for the agent on top of that. It's interesting though how countries do it differently, we are renting out our place in Melbourne furnished yet it's us who pay the agent fees, not the tenant - it's the other way around in France. Although I suspect you Ingrid as the landlord are also paying the agent fees? Best of luck renting it out. As I said, I would love to see photos and have an idea of the rates. Kind regards,

Ev