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-   -   Paris Apt Locations - Your Opinion on Apts (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/paris-apt-locations-your-opinion-on-apts-1035830/)

yestravel Jan 28th, 2015 06:29 AM

Paris Apt Locations - Your Opinion on Apts
 
What do you think of the locations of these 3 apts in Paris? It's for first time visitors to Paris -- thanks
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/817495
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1587891
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1207649

denmal Jan 28th, 2015 06:45 AM

The locations look ok - for how many people and for how long? They look a bit sterial but clean.

yestravel Jan 28th, 2015 07:00 AM

Two adults for one week.

apersuader65 Jan 28th, 2015 08:19 AM

May want to check into airbnb. They have apparently caused a crackdown in Paris for illegal vacation rental apartments.

First two are on the same street, but an ok neighborhood. The third one is more centrally located. Not sure where on Greneta it's located, but the western part runs directly into rue Montorguiel, a lively market street.

Christina Jan 28th, 2015 09:23 AM

I couldn't see where the first one is, not sure how apersuader65 knows it's on the same street as the second. It says it is between the Bastille and Republique areas/metros but then circle on the map is not, it is farther east and could even be Belleville. The second one is clearer as to where it is (right next to the no 3 metro line, which must be Parmentier or Republique stops, but in the 11th it says), and I think has a better location than the first if the first really is in that circle. It says it is within 5 minutes of Pere Lachaise and St Maur metro stops, do that's a bit towards the eastern boundary of arr. 11.

The final one is near Reaumur Sepastopol and that is an okay area, also. So I'd vote for no 2 or 3.

However, note that a couple of these are on the ground floor. That's not something I would care for, especially if on the street (the final one says it is in a courtyard but ground floor), but even in a courtyard, it's a bit public for me. Both 2 and 3 say that. The first it isn't clear, it says something about there is an elevator in the lobby which implies it is up some flights.

YankyGal Jan 28th, 2015 09:45 AM

Location-wise, for 1st timers, I think the last one. But lack of windows (only 1) would be an issue for me.

manouche Jan 28th, 2015 11:57 AM

Ground-floor apartments are often legal, depending on the building's prior use. Many of those windows will be sealed for security purposes, though, so you will only have fresh air if you leave the door open.

It is not recommended to rent through AirBnB in Paris at this time.
Besides the fact that the company is under active investigation for tax fraud, there are many instances of last-minute cancellations.

A tenant does not have the right to sublet his apartment - even if he is a long-term tenant. If the owner finds out, or the neighbors complain, the rental is cancelled, often at the last minute. No one is responsible for helping the renter find a new place to stay, though AirBnB does refund the payment. There is no way for a prospective renter to verify if the person listing the rental is the owner.

A property owner who resides full-time in Paris does have the right to rent his property 3 to 4 months per year, but there is no way to verify this, either.

AirBnB is tempting, it's cheap, but it's not a good idea in Paris.

Sarastro Jan 28th, 2015 12:30 PM

I would be very cautious about vacation rentals in Paris right now as most short term rentals are illegal. Things are in a transitional stage as the new law against most short term rentals takes effect.

The risk you assume is that the accommodations you think you have may be withdrawn from the market before you arrive.

Seamus Jan 28th, 2015 07:40 PM

First two are in same general area which is OK but not anything to write home about. Of the two I'd go with the first. Not sure I could sleep in that turquoise shoe box bed in the second.

Third is smaller, but looks nicely appointed and in a better area, IMO, for tourists. Easy walk to sights and sites of interest to first timers, and good metro access, too. Not sure when visit will occur, but the AC is nice in warm weather. Of the three this would be my choice.

welltraveledbrit Jan 28th, 2015 08:22 PM

I'm with Seamus, I couldn't spend a week anywhere near that turquoise rug!

But unfortunately I'd have the same problem with the third one, the red and black theme is enough to put me off but that Paris duvet cover would be a no go for me! Also if you look at the place apart from the front down there don't seem to be any windows, just a lot of mirrors, never a good sign!

ON purely aesthetic grounds I'd go for the first one. I like the area between Republique and Bastille but I think it depends on what kind of first time Paris visitors are they. If they are urban, well travelled types who are fine with public transport and would be at home in Brooklyn the whole area should work for them. If this is their twenty fifth wedding anniversary and a once in a lifetime trip to Paris that they've been looking forward to for years I'd pick somewhere further in, though they might like that ghastly Paris duvet!

yestravel Jan 29th, 2015 06:08 AM

Thanks all! I thought the 3rd one the best area, but wanted to see if others agreed. I have not been asked to comment on the decor so I have refrained. All of the apts have issues if it were me, but it isn't.

apersuader65 Jan 29th, 2015 01:11 PM

Both the 1st and second listing use the street name of Rue Servan as the listing location, the third says Greneta.

As repeated above, I'd shy away from Airbnb too. There are numerous other sites that have apartments, but not likely at the prices identified on airbnb.

Sarastro Jan 29th, 2015 11:09 PM

There is really nothing wrong with booking with Airbnb or any other service or agency as long as the rentals themselves are legal and the owners have registered them with the mairie of the arrondissement in which they are located.

One very simple indicator is the inclusion of the <i>Taxe de Séjour</i> which must be paid and which must be itemized in the apartment´s cost structure. I did not see the tax mentioned on any of the three links provided by the OP. It could have been an oversight or the apartments could be unregistered.

Of greatest concern to travelers is what this new law means to them and the apartments they rent. There are two basics risks to renting an illegal or unregistered apartment: that it will not be insurance for the purpose for which it is used and that the unit, subsequent to an enforcement action by city, will be withdrawn from the market leaving the potential renter without the accommodation he thought he had.

The law is new as of 2014 and enforcement will take time. Those who rent apartments in Paris should, at a minimum, be aware of the risks.

Christina Jan 30th, 2015 09:09 AM

Both the 1st and second listing use the street name of Rue Servan as the listing location, the third says Greneta.>>

oh, I never saw an actual street name, I'll have to look at these to figure how to do that. I never even noticed it gave a name on that label of the map. well, I guess they can't be that far apart, a couple blocks at most, but that's a bit farther east in the 11th than I would want to be.


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