Planning a trip to Paris in the fall, can anyone tell me if it is customary with an apartment rental for the full rent to be required at time of booking - now? This is for a 10 day rental, so a sizable chunk of change.

We've rented lots of apartments over the years and have never had to pay the full amount up front 4+ months in advance. First trip to Paris, so maybe it's customary?

Susan

Hi Susan; If you use Airbnb, usually the whole amount is due up front.

If you use Vbro.com, usually a deposit [or many other web sites.]

However, where it's only four months out, perhaps the whole amount is required.

We just rented for 2 weeks in September and paid a third on deposit. I do not recall ever paying the entire amount up front in Paris. We rented from Guest Apartment Services.

I haven't either, but iris notes Airbnb requires that, I didn't know that. But many places require you to pay the full amount before arrival, and often they require payment in full if you are booking it within a short time of arrival, also. But now for the Fall? No, I've never done that and I've rented 3-4 places in Paris. I think some required full payment 30-60 days in advance and others the balance due when you arrived. There are some (ie, Parisperfect) that require full payment 90 days in advance, though, and you aren't too far off from that.

In fact, I think it is so rare that I wouldn't do it as I've never heard of it before for Paris apartments that far in advance. (with qualifier about Airbnb).

Thank you all for weighing in. It was so odd I immediately emailed the company rep back and asked about it. Got a reply stating 50% down now the other 50 one month prior to arrival. Although that is better, I'm being told that is higher than the norm, typically 25-33%.

Susan

Actually, I inquired about an apartment in Paris for next year on Airbnb and it was taken. It would have required the whole amount.

However, the apartment we will now rent for next year only requires a deposit of 500 euros.

The balance one month before arrival.

That's a big change, and I wouldn't quibble at this point over the percentage, as I don't think that is so unusual at all. I'm not sure I've seen one that only required a 25 pct down payment, most seem to require 50 pct that I've seen (and I've viewed a lot), but there probably are some. And then some require full payment 60 days in advance if they require less. I wouldn't say that 25-33 pct is the norm. Of course, I'm only talking about real agencies, I have no idea what people do on VRBO.

Vacationinparis only requires $300, if you want to use them. But then you have to pay the full amount 60 days ahead, not 30. If someone told you the norm was 25-33 pct, why don't you ask them to name all those places where that is the norm?