Apartment Rental in Paris
 

I am trying to keep my sanity while reviewing all the information and advice on renting an apartment in Paris : ) I think I have narrowed down an area (Marais or Ile St. Louis), and after searching every rental website, I am leaning towards www.franceforrent.com. I'm not sure which apartment - I am waiting to hear about availability. Here is my question: I have seen several posts suggesting franceforrent as a suggested place to find an apartment, but I'm having a hard time finding reviews from people who have rented from them. I am curious as to what you thought about the agency, the transaction, the accuracy of the description, etc. . . I found one glowing review on Slowtrav, and one horrible review on Slowtrav. (Obviously, it's the horrible review that is making me investigate further). I thought my work was done until I came across this bad review. It could be a fluke, but it can't hurt to do more research! Any thoughts/comments??

Thank you very much!

We rented an apartment on Ile St Louis
directly from the owner this summer
and it was absolutely great... the owner
was pleasant and efficient to deal with
as well.

If you're interested, email me at
parisamsterdam2007 AT yahoo DOT com and I'll send you his url.

Rob

I have been a client of franceforrent for at least ten years, going once a year, and sometimes twice. I can not think of a more efficient or courteous agency. I have been completely satisfied all these years, consequently never feeling the need to change to another. Franceforrent has been around for a long time. Transactions for each rental were always easy, smooth, and fun. I have been consistently met at the apartment each time by a very enthusiastic and friendly Parisian who speaks fluent English. The group of people who comprise Franceforrent are professional, intelligent, classy, and fun. If you haven't seen any reviews, it's because Franceforrent speaks for itself. They have never failed me in all these years, and they are always kind, and willing to assist in all ways. You will not go wrong with Franceforrent. Competition for rentals in Paris is enormous. Franceforrent has always come through, and have bent the situation every which way to accommodate the renter, the requestor, the interested client. And yes, their descriptions of properties are accurate. Franceforrent has some of the most desirable and beautiful spaces in all of Paris. I've been in a number of them!

I have just returned from spending the month of September in Paris. I travel often [this was my third trip to Europe this year] and usually stay in hotels but, given the length of this stay, I rented a lovely apartment through France for Rent/Paris Luxury Rentals on the Ile St. Louis. The apartment was beautifully cared for with every amenity and comfort. The building, likewise, was very well maintained and secure. It was, for me, the perfect place to rest and refresh myself from the usual activities of a blessed personal and professional life.
My contacts with the company were pivital in my feeling secure about this rental and I had an excellent experience all around. The rental agent was lovely, forthright, accurate, clear and timely in all communications. There were no surprises when I got to the location and my expectations, given the pictures I had seen and the information given me, were more than met. The agent called after I had been there a short while to inquire about my satisfaction with the property which was both considerate and caring. I was picked up at the airport by a wonderfully patient driver who was gracious and reasurring during the time it took me to make a lost baggage claim. The person who "greeted" me at the apartment was warm and welcoming, knew every detail about the operation of appliances etc., oriented me well and made herself readily available when I had questions or needs. Though I know Paris very well, she was a wealth of updated information and a pleasure to know. Other company representatives I had occasion to talk with during my stay were similarly wonderful to deal with. Inquiries were addressed promptly and I felt in very good hands at all times. I also felt that the various company representative I had contact with were in good touch with one another so that care of their clients was well coordinated. I will certainly rent with this company again and would recommend them most highly given the fully positive and satisfying experience I had.

Attnymom.. both the above "reviews" look a bit sketchy to me. Both are a bit too glowing and also written by onetime posters.

Having said that, I like that the website lists prices in dollars, and some of those apartments look pretty nice. I hope if you do decide to rent from them, you will also write a review on slowtalk or here on Fodors, about your experience.

I see that the positive reviews written by me and the person who posted above me drew some suspicion since they were so glowing. While I can understand the hesitancy, I have been a psychotherapist for 40 years and both can and would tell you the straight story - good or bad. My expectations, especially in a situation where I would be renting for a month at the expense that was incurred, were very high. And I have lived long enough to be disappointed with service that was less than top quality. If you have not already spoken to an agent at France For Rent, you might do so and judge for yourself how you feel about the interactions you have with them and the company. This is my first posting however I am a very seasoned international traveler and I reiterate to you that my experience with this company was an A+ in my book. Best wishes.

I want to applaud BFAP for a very honest and noble response! I concur wholeheartedly and would only be repeating your words in order to further support France For Rent. I, too, am a well-seasoned traveler, having enjoyed almost fifty years of it, and developing high expectations as a result. My stays in Paris have frequently been for two months at a time, my expectations in Paris have all been met through France For Rent! Doesn't that speak for itself? Bravo BFAP! Vive la France For Rent!

The whole apartment finding thing is just so anxiety-inducing and frustrating. There are so many agencies. Anyone else out there ever tried to find an "inexpensive", small apartment for a family? We are planning a stay of 7 weeks for a family with two adults, a 5-year-old and a baby. Also, any tips for spotting a more trustworthy agency versus one that is not?

What month is your trip? We are staying in an apartment in the Latin Quarter later this month. I'd be happy to give you a review when I return.

Attnymom,

We used France for Rent for a one week Paris stay in 2003. They could not have been more accommodating (pardon the pun), especially on the front-end, answering all questions and responding to all inquiries thoughtfully and speedily. The apartment itself had some issues (CD player didn't work, the apt. itself was - no surprise - way smaller than the photos, but that's the case with all rentals, I think) but when we called the local contact things that could be addressed were quickly resolved. One thing: we had an unfortunate incident of theft - having seen that many residents of the apartment complex left their bikes in the courtyard, we left our razor scooters outside our door for a few hours and when we went out to get them later they were gone. When we got home to the US, I emailed about this (and also to thank the company for an otherwise great stay) and got no reply. This bugged me a little, especially given the earlier solicitousness, but I'm over it and would rent again from them if the price were right (they seem to have gotten a bit pricier).
Bon voyage!

-msm4

I used Parisaddress and they were fantastic. The best way I knew how to find a reliable agency was to exhaustively search every post here about paris apartments and eliminate those that had negative experiences - or ones that with no information.

bookmarking

After many trips to Paris, this was our first "apartment experience". Our dealings with France For Rent from beginning to end could not have been better.

Due to weather difficulties, our flights were rerouted several times. Pat, at France For Rent made the adjustments needed for a smooth arrival. Taxi Jacques was a godsend in helping us with misplaced luggage, and Paris rush hour traffic.

We intend to use France for Rent in the future. The apartment experience was far better than our best hotels of previous trips. It was living like a Parisian not a tourist.

If you want to discuss it further, contact us at [email protected]

i know you already have a lot of replies...but my brother used parisianhome.com last summer to come visit me in Paris and it was really great for him. The company was really helpful throughout his trip and it allowed him to feel like he was really living the parisian life. I'd at least recommend checking out the website.

cheers!

Thanks to everyone for your replies - the apartments I wanted from Franceforrent were booked, so I ended up finding one through VRBO. I will write a review when we return!

Hi Attnymom, you mentioned u have rented an apartment from VRBO. can i have some of your review? any comments ? i was going to rent one 2..hope some one can comment..thks !!