Just some thoughts for you timothyjames... There is usually an easy way to get an apartment, it usually goes through intermediaries like agencies, and it's often much more expensive or full of fees but has the convenience of not having to do any leg work yourself. I don't actually live in Paris yet, but I do have experience looking for apartments in ways that jump off the more comfortable path here in New York and also in other cities and I've been doing some steady research on the Parisian rental scene. So take this for whatever it's worth and anyone should feel free to jump in and put me in my place if I'm wrong.
You can look in pap.fr, FUSAC, the papers, private signs on buildings, wherever, but ultimately if what you want is to deal directly with an owner or landlord you'll have to hit the streets and pound the pavement making appointments for yourself. You will also have to have your finances in good order before presenting yourself to someone renting an apartment. In Paris, the law is on the side of the renter and therefore, a prospective tenant coming from an agency that has already looked into you is far more reliable than someone walking in off the street. Completely understandable, I'd say. This is why they may say that they want to see up to a year of rent locked up in an account. By law, you can take off whenever you want with 90 days notice. So they need to know, for example, that you won't split in the middle of July leaving them with an empty apartment through August when everyone's gone from the city. They can't stop it from happening anyway, but obviously someone willing to lock up a big amount of money for rent is probably more responsible and less likely to disappear.
I think you need to show up to see apartments the way you would show up for a job interview; well presented, with papers in hand, pleasant, showing them "I don't come approved by an agency but I am completely legitimate and I keep my word and I am committed to being a good tenant that isn't a risk." And even then, some of them simply won't care anyway even after showing you the place. The key, I think, is to see lots of places, get a feel for yourself for how the visits go and as always in these things, learn to compromise. It is always the name of the game when looking for your own apartments in any city. Don't set your hopes on anything that isn't an absolute must. And even then, look over your absolute musts and see which ones you can be flexible with. I used to think there was no way I'd live in an apartment in Paris without a full oven and range on top. But I realise that cuts down on a certain number of apartments and I can just buy a double burner somewhere when I get there and get a nice big powerful toaster oven. And I actually DO cook! Walking into a place and saying, "What? There's no stove?" are the kinds of warning signs to landlords or guardiens that you may be more than they want to handle. 'Make it work' becomes the motto when living in cities like this.
Again, I could be wrong because I haven't spent a single day yet walking around looking for apartments, but I think these things will help you find your own place and help you look as ideal a candidate as possible. People living in Paris... PLEASE feel free to tear apart what I've said here. As I said, it ONLY comes from research and lots and lots of reading here and on other forums, not from actually doing it myself. Does no good to give him bad advice, right?
