| p>So you are English speaking, new in Paris and | | | | services provided by your hotel are generally very |
| looking for an apartment, right? You have come to | | | | costly and not at all ‘free’ as many may |
| the right place … by the time you will finish | | | | think. Best is again to use the telephone of your local |
| reading this article, you will be armed with the entire | | | | friend, as in most houses people are having free |
| armory necessary for renting an apartment here in | | | | phone now a day here and you can make as many |
| this new city. | | | | phone calls as you want without to think about the |
| First things first, the question you need to ask | | | | bill. Otherwise, you can buy a phone card – this |
| yourself at the very beginning, is which kind of | | | | is yet another cheap way of making a large number |
| apartment you are looking for, a furnished or an | | | | of phone calls. |
| unfurnished one. If you are staying here for a few | | | | Once you start speaking to a potential landlord, the |
| months, you may decide going for a furnished | | | | aim should be to fix an appointment as soon as |
| apartment, as in this way you don't need to buy | | | | possible. Remember every moment counts here and |
| anything, no headache, and you just need to install | | | | you may loose an interesting flat just for a couple of |
| yourself there. However, if the duration is long, even | | | | minutes (it has happened to me as well, I remember |
| a couple of years, unfurnished apartment can be | | | | once loosing a very nice apartment just for 5 odd |
| much more economic, as you can furnish your | | | | minutes and I still regret that). While visiting an |
| apartment depending on your budget, easily from a | | | | apartment, you should go there with all the |
| second hand market, and can sell them off while | | | | necessary documents needed for signing a contract |
| leaving Paris to somebody else … thereby | | | | for the apartment, by being mentally ready that if |
| saving a lot of money that the landlord or his agency | | | | you like it, you are going to take it, right there! The |
| would have charged you extra for giving you those | | | | modus operandi is that if you like it, do the deal, then |
| extra stuffs. | | | | and there, at least, give some advance to the |
| The basic way of going for an apartment is more or | | | | landlord to book it. As, if the apartment is giving a |
| less same, and hence we will speak about this topic | | | | good value for money, it won’t remain empty |
| in a general way … while giving necessary tips | | | | too long as the next person is going to book it, |
| later down the page for both the cases. | | | | beyond doubt, and this may happen within five |
| So, once you have decided the type of apartment | | | | minutes of your departure. So, think |
| you will be needing (furnished or unfurnished), you | | | | intelligently.Things to check while visiting an |
| are ready to start looking for your apartment. Two | | | | apartment: |
| ways, the ‘do-it-yourself’ way for | | | | - Check the all inclusive rent, as often, landlords tell a |
| people like me, and the ‘agency’ way | | | | price and then add other charges on top of that, and |
| for those who are rich enough to pay a month of | | | | the charges can be 20 euros a month, and it may |
| rent extra to the agency for their service. | | | | easily become 200 euros as well. Thus, its important |
| The agency way is simpler, you just need to find | | | | to know the all inclusive rate. |
| some English speaking agencies, and you have plenty | | | | - Check the condition of the apartment, if the paint is |
| of service providers who speak that minimum English | | | | not good or for similar things, don’t hope that |
| to communicate with you, at least enough to find | | | | the landlord will do it for you, unless it is well written |
| you a room. Do some search in the net, take the | | | | in the contract. |
| yellow page, and find the section | | | | - Ask for the nearest bus stop, nearest metro, |
| ‘immobiliers’ (French translation for real | | | | nearest RER (local train), nearest supermarket and |
| estate) and start phoning them. You can start with | | | | the location of the city center vis-à-vis your |
| the sentence ‘Bonjour, parlez vous | | | | apartment. |
| anglais?’ (For pronunciation, remember that the | | | | - And yes, don’t forget to ask for the area of |
| French don’t pronounce the last consonants | | | | your apartment, in square meters - also, if possible, |
| normally – thus you will be telling something like | | | | try to measure it by yourself, as a lot of landlords |
| ‘Bojho, parley voo angley’) question | | | | have a tendency to add some 5 square meters or |
| which stands for ‘Good day, do you speak | | | | more with the real area. |
| English’ and if the reply is affirmative, start | | | | Things you will need to make the deal: |
| talking business. If not, move to the next. Normally | | | | - An income proof, landlords need to be sure that |
| most of the agencies around the center of Paris are | | | | you are financially able to pay the rent. The traditional |
| used to English speaking customers, so it | | | | way of doing it is by providing him (photocopy of |
| shouldn’t be that hard for you to find one / | | | | course): |
| few suitable. Just try to bargain a bit for their | | | | - Something that guarantees an ongoing income, |
| commission or try finding one that takes the | | | | normally the local job contract. Longer the period of |
| cheapest commission if you have problem bargaining. | | | | your contract, better is your possibility to convince |
| Remember, the commission can be anything between | | | | him. A CDI is the best which stands for a job |
| half of a month’s rent to that of a full month. | | | | contract for unlimited period. If you don’t have |
| For the ‘do-it-yourself’ ones, believe | | | | it, you have to prove that money will come from |
| me, it can also be as simple as the other one. Only | | | | your country regularly during your stay, or your bank |
| here you will be saving quite a lot of money. The | | | | balance, whatever, though the job contract works |
| problem what you might have here is to | | | | the best. |
| communicate with the landlords. For this, you can | | | | - An income proof of the last three months. Your |
| take help of a local person … somebody whom | | | | pay slip will do in this case. |
| you knew before or somebody you have met in a | | | | - Also, your monthly income should be 3 to 4 times |
| forum, for example. If you can’t, then of | | | | higher then the room rent, otherwise they will |
| course you are limiting the number of apartments | | | | consider that you will be unable to pay the rent after |
| that you could visit … but don’t loose | | | | some days / months. |
| hope, you will still be having some ways to find some | | | | - In case your income is not convincing enough, you |
| English speaking landlords. And you are having this | | | | may need some godfather here who will guarantee |
| advantage with you that quite a lot of landlords | | | | that in case you are unable to pay the rent, he will |
| (they accept it or not) prefer giving rooms to the | | | | be doing that in your place, and in that case their |
| ‘native’ English speakers. | | | | income should also be at least 4 times higher then |
| Your search can start from the American church of | | | | your room rent. Normally friends / siblings / parents |
| Paris, a wonderful place to meet other English | | | | are the ideal choice for that … depending on |
| speaking individuals and for other English resources. | | | | what options you are having here. If your |
| Start by picking up the magazine | | | | guarantor’s income is not high enough, you can |
| ‘FUSAC’, you will find it just near the | | | | submit two guarantor’s name to keep the |
| main gate. (Till now the best printed resource for | | | | landlord’s blood pressure in control till you get |
| English speaking people who need an information in | | | | the apartment. |
| Paris). You can also have a look at the notice board, | | | | - Guarantors need to give the same papers as you, |
| you may find something interesting, and then put | | | | plus a letter confirming that he / she is taking the |
| your own message there (for which, yes, you will be | | | | responsibility. |
| needing to prepare a ‘looking for an | | | | A check book, as if you like the room, the only way |
| apartment’ page printed from your computer | | | | to get it is to make a check immediately there |
| or a cyber-café and a telephone number | | | | … as if you think to wait till evening to decide, |
| where potential landlords can contact you). Next, | | | | by the time you will decide and get excited about |
| check this real estate site -> [ again the best | | | | the wonderful flat, chances are that that has already |
| place in the net to look for an apartment for Paris | | | | been taken by somebody else. |
| and its surroundings. | | | | Besides, you should be ready to give a caution |
| Now that you have a big list of apartments to knock, | | | | deposit, equal to about two / three months of rent. |
| its your time to take the help of Mr. Alexander | | | | Good to know: |
| Graham Bell’s wonderful invention. You can | | | | - Never give any money without a cash receipt. |
| start each time with the same magic sentence as | | | | - While you will be leaving the apartment, you will |
| mentioned before, ‘Bonjour, parlez vous | | | | have to tell it 3 months in advance, unless you have |
| anglais?’ Your aim will be to find some English | | | | a special good relationship with your landlord and he |
| speaking landlords again, and here also, you can take | | | | agrees for a smaller time period. An exception is |
| help of a friend or somebody whom you have met | | | | when you need to leave the apartment for |
| who speaks French and who is ready to help you, if | | | | professional reason (transfer, etc.) when you can |
| you want to increase the possibility of getting a | | | | inform your landlord only one month before, but |
| better apartment. | | | | even then it is always better to speak with your |
| One thing is sure here that you might need to make | | | | landlord in a proper way, remembering, that we need |
| a lot of phone calls and you will be spending quite a | | | | to take back our caution deposit. |
| lot in phone bills. Finding a cheap telephone thus | | | | - While leaving, if the landlord find something is not |
| becomes a part of the game … and for this, | | | | exactly as it was while you took charge of the |
| avoid using the telephone of your hotel. Telephone | | | | apartment, your caution deposit will be deducted. |