The first step is to determine what you’re looking for in a neighborhood and an apartment. When beginning your Paris apartment search, here is what you need to know. Chrissie is a UK-born writer at My Dolce Casa, living in France. She lived in Germany, Cyprus, Greece, and is now in France, where she and her husband run a successful gite business and she conducts civil wedding ceremonies. We hope it inspires you to make a gift to ProPublica so that we can publish more investigations like this one that hold people in power to account and produce real change.
Do you own a dog, a cat or something more exotic and caged, like a parrot or iguana? That’s fine, and it’s probably fine with your landlord, but it’s something that will have to be agreed upon with very specific terms. Some apartments don’t allow any pets at all, or they allow caged pets, cats instead of dogs (as cats usually aren’t as destructive as dogs), or cats and dogs under a certain size.
One of the first things you should do is apply for a tax number (TIN), also known as an AFM. You need an AFM to work in Greece, open a bank account with a Greek bank, rent a house, and get utilities connected. Create a list of the features you most want your place to have. Set the required characteristics and determine the extras or nice-to-haves. Some things you might consider are size, furniture, the existence of a balcony, the layout of the kitchen, and whether the property has been renovated recently. Finding an apartment to rent, especially in a new country, can be complex and daunting.
If the sites feel overwhelming, another great option is to rely on the vast community of expats in Paris who regularly share opportunities among themselves and in various expat Facebook groups. In 2019, after nearly six years in New York City and on the verge of turning 30, I decided to take one of those impractical life plunges that only makes sense from an emotional standpoint.
Accompany yourself with a good guarantor
You’ll also need to utilize a moving vehicle to transport all of your stuff. If you don’t know anyone with a big truck or trailer you’ll need to rent a moving truck. This won’t cost too much and will be extremely helpful if you aren’t using a moving company. Be strategic when you pack the truck, approach it like a puzzle. By strategically packing your moving vehicle you will maximize space and prevent items from damaging each other during transport.
Do you need a French bank account to be able to rent an apartment in France?
Read more about Vesada apartments here.
How To Rent An Apartment In English: Vocabulary Edition
It’s really hard.1 You must send hundreds of applications to find something.2 It can take months to find an apartment. In this guide, we have detailed how to find, apply for and move into an apartment in Germany. We hope this helps you find your dream apartment in Germany, and that the application process goes smoothly. This is a letter from your most recent landlord in Germany declaring that you have no outstanding debts with them.
These are the very heart of the city, and although they have wonderful restaurants, attractions and highlights like the Champs Elysées nearby, they’re not really residential areas. Not only are the prices sky high, Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world – which means your neighbourhood would be congested and overrun by tourist crowds most of the time.
This is specific insurance for landlords that will cover unpaid rent. It is forbidden for landlords to request a guarantor when they contract this type of insurance. The main argument is that it can also be complicated to receive the payment from a guarantor and this specific insurance is more reliable for everyone.
The second is les charges de copropriété, the maintenance charges for the building itself. These two amounts added together give the total monthly rental charge and both these sums are payable to the landlord each month. If you have a problem with any of these requirements, there is an excellent service that can be used called Garantme. Garantme will provide a certified application on behalf of the foreigner wanting to rent with all the required documents and will also guarantee rent up to €90,000. This service does come with a cost, but it is fast, straightforward and efficient – with the bonus that all conversations are in English. RealPage’s clients include some of the largest property managers in the country. Many favor cities where rent has been rising rapidly, according to a ProPublica analysis of five of the country’s top 10 property managers as of 2020.
Parking in the city is difficult and unlikely to be available right outside your apartment. Many residents in Paris either walk everywhere or use public transport. If you are going to be a resident in Paris with a car, the residential parking permit costs €45 for one year or €90 for three years. There are also a number of underground car parking lots where long-term parking permits can be bought. As an alternative, some residents rely on bicycles and these can be seen stored on balconies. Haru Coryne is a data reporter at ProPublica, based in Chicago.