[gregovens]

An anyone help? We rented an apartment in Paris for ten months then moved to our own property in the south west. We gave notice and agreed a departure date in December 2011 we had to pay two months rent as deposit which we found out would be refunded within 8 weeks of our departure. We have just found out that the landlord has deducted 2,400 euros from our deposit with no paperwork or justification!
Can anyone advise of a body or organisation that might be able to help?

Thanks

Greg

 

[rynd2it]

An anyone help? We rented an apartment in Paris for ten months then moved to our own property in the south west. We gave notice and agreed a departure date in December 2011 we had to pay two months rent as deposit which we found out would be refunded within 8 weeks of our departure. We have just found out that the landlord has deducted 2,400 euros from our deposit with no paperwork or justification!
Can anyone advise of a body or organisation that might be able to help?

Thanks

Greg

Before firing the big guns, have you asked the landlord what the deduction was for? Have you checked the contract?

I've learned in France that if you attack you get nowhere, asking works better.

Just FYI

Cheers

 

[gregovens]

Thanks for that, the landlord has now produced a list of works and replacements which is fictional in it's content!! We are taking action
Regards

 

[ihavequestions]

It's illegal !
he should prove, with receipts, that he spent 2400 euros on the apartment after you left.
If talking to him doesnt lead anywhere, i guess you should get in touch with a lawyer to frighten him, or an 'association de consommateurs' like 60 millions or Que choisir.
Or you can contact ADIL association departementale d'information sur le logement to know about your rights.
Good luck
Pauline

 

[Kato_Au_Placard]

Thanks for that, the landlord has now produced a list of works and replacements which is fictional in it's content!! We are taking action
Regards

ADIL
contact me in pm (if you need free pratical advice from someone who has been shafted once and never again by a parisian landlord -and if mods allow) I have had landlords from hell. You have to know french civil law to stop them. They prey on brits in paris (The bad landlords - not all are bad of course)

thing about 'taking action' is to do as little as possible and force them into making a mistake. Do everything by LRAR if you didnt already know. There is a grey area in the law regarding the proof that he has to provide regarding 'factures' or 'devises' . So be careful of basing everything on the fact that the work hasnt actually yet been done. Best bet is contact new locataire who replaced you and trap the _________

And don't forget to send a letter to the French tax man and ask him to take ithe money deducted into account ;op

 

[relocatella]

If you are seeking for professional advise, CGL confederation generale du logement cgl confdration gnrale du logement association dfense locataire copropritaire consommateurs can be very helpful in the matter.
Good luck!

 

[Kato_Au_Placard]

If you are seeking for professional advise, CGL confederation generale du logement cgl confdration gnrale du logement association dfense locataire copropritaire consommateurs can be very helpful in the matter.
Good luck!

...

 

[Guest]

This happened with me too - they are notorious in Paris very disgusting people... actually I lived in short term apartments for 3-3 months each in different areas of Paris and each time the Landlords found some ridiculous "excuse" to deduct money from the security deposit - usually they take half of it - and I learnt from a French friend that this has become normal practice amongst Parisian landlords especially if they are renting to a foreigner. Complain to the tourism office or some foreign office department - do not let them get away with it, I find it really hard to deal with French people when it comes to doing any business, maybe France has become such a poor country now that they are all desperate to make a bit of extra money here or there....it's the same mentality in a lot of French hotels too... not a good thing.

You may also want to go file a complaint with the police - but I'm not sure how much they will help you and forget about lawyers - the lawyers are another group of thieves in France, I've consulted many and the amount they want to charge is like a 100 times more than anywhere else they charge in the world.

 

[bluechip]

images

I've never had a rent deposit problem here - although once I had to insist to get it back, but it happened and it wasn't much.

I don't know how much legal ground the following has, but I do it every time I move. I take photographs of the place, and I sometimes videotape. When I move in and when I move out. I'm not sure how valid this would be in a legal proceeding, but at least I have proof in images of everything, at least to myself. And you can film yourself with a newspaper to prove the last date too. Obviously this only proves things which are external to the walls.