Apartment Deposit Question
 

I have rented an apartment from RentParis.com and their website states they need a 300 Euro personal check for a deposit to be given to them on arrival. When I went to my bank (in FL) to ask how to do that, they said they couldn't draw up a check made out in Euros from my account. How do I get this done? I've already emailed the company to see if I can give 300 Euros in cash that I withdrawl from an ATM, but it's night time there now and I'm nervous that I've messed up somehow about this deposit and I'm leaving Sun. morning!

The website does not say you have to pay with a personal check. It makes it quite clear that you have a number of options for payment: check, credit card, debit card, traveler's checks, bank draft, and though they don't say so, I'm sure they'd accept a wire transfer.

Where are you getting that they have to have a personal check? I looked at it in four languages, and I don't see that anywhere.

Usually the personal check for deposit is for a security deposit and will be returned to you on checkout.
I rented an apartment in Rome and that is what they did. They accepted my check for $300 (rather than euros) and then just gave it back to me when we left. I also emailed and asked if I could do this in advance.

StCirq,
It says "300E, personal check," under the Security Deposit paragraph located in the pop-up window you get when you click on the link next to the box you must check to signify you have read the terms and conditions. Believe me, it does....I used PayPal to make the deposit and final payments with fine results but don't want to do this for the deposit as they'd probably give me a PayPal account credit back and I don't want that.


I'm hoping they will take a check in US dollars as the security deposit as they do have an office address in Delaware I believe, although there is no contact information there, it all goes through the people in Paris.

My apartment has great reviews and I've actually corresponded with someone who rented it using RentParis.com with good results so I'm not worried about the company as a whole. I'm more worried that I left this to the last minute and will have to deal with it tomorrow instead of getting ready to go!

I'd be shocked if they wouldn't gladly
accept cash in lieu of a check.

Checks take time to process, especially from a foreign (to them)
bank.

Also, at this is not aimed at you
but it is a fact of life, checks can
bounce. Any business that prefers a check to cash isn't a very efficient
business.

Another option might be an international money order...

Have a great trip!

Rob

As to why they might prefer a check to cash, my understanding is that a lot of these landlords will not even cash the check unless there is a claim to be made against the deposit. Not being familiar with the tax system over there, I would assume that it probably makes things easier from an accounting standpoint if they aren't constantly processing security deposits (both in and out).

Just heard back from RentParis and a personal check in US dollars is fine.....off to start packing!