The do’s and don’ts when renting a Paris apartment
First is the location : When renting an apartment in Paris you are also renting the area, so it is very important that your location becomes a priority. Then look for what type of apartments are available in that area.
The location must have some grocery shops for your home cooking and/or a few small restaurants for you to go out for dinner at a good value. Metro station nearby is also a must.
Closer to the Seine river will allow you to cross one of the many bridges to the other side without going a long way by public transport. The arrondissements (or quarters) we recommend you to select from are from the 1st to the 8th quarter being the most central, with the 4th, 5th and 6th the most picturesque being the oldest parts of the capital…
The others are good too but, perhaps more residential with larger streets and avenues…
All will have bistros and cafes with terraces, shops, and be relatively close to the main monuments and attractions…
Left bank or right bank? … Left bank (St Germain, Quartier Latin and the Eiffel Tower) is perhaps the most sourced by the tourists but can also be more expensive.
To me the right bank 4th arrondissement or even the 1st has the same character, similar feel and advantages.
The right bank (Le Louvre, Opera, Marais) tends to have the advantage for shopping with more choice of larger galleries, like the Printemps, Lafayette, and of course the Champs Elysees strip in the 8th district.
If on a budget, you will have no trouble finding great value properties in the 9th to 14th quarters but you may find yourself isolated with not much around and having to deal with public transport rather than being within walking distance to what you want and need. Also safety could be an issue the more you go outside the centre.
Money is not everything in life. You must balance quality, the cost of the stay, the comfort and what you are trying to achieve while on holiday in the French capital…
Now for the apartment : France at Leisure we will never rent out a property also used by the owners. Our property rentals in Paris are only for the purpose of renting out to the short term user all year round. Who wants to rent a property with personal pictures and other items from strangers living there… not what we believe our Australian clients are looking for… Renting someone’s apartment privately will be cheaper but you can encounter issues like hygiene, services, and back up… basically –“without an agent you are on your own…”If booking on line is your thing, please cross check the websites you are looking at… to ensure they are genuine… and send a test email… 50% deposit would be the maximum a good agent requests on confirmation, more can be a risk… Also check the cancellation policies prior to sending the money…
We would not recommend Western Union to process payments as it is a payment platform used by frauds.
If higher than the second floor a lift is a must - Some are very tiny, fitting only 1 or 2 people but as long as there is a lift...
For 2 to 4 people – a one bedroom may be sufficient and great value for families but not appropriate for 2 couples as one of them will need to use the sofa bed.
The same applies for 4 to 6 people in a 2 bedroom apartment for large families, with kids sleeping on the sofa bed - but for 3 couples we would use one of our 8 properties with 3 bedroom / 2 bathrooms and 2 toilets being a must for more privacy.
After this, space, a balcony, great view and a courtyard depends on the spending money you have - if money is ‘no object’, France at Leisure has access to many Deluxe properties for you to select from.
For more details contact Christian on 1300 302 623 !
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