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Renting a furnished apartment has become a popular alternative to staying in Parisian hotels. The two obvious benefits are cost and space – a typical furnished apartment that sleeps four is often less than half the price of its hotel equivalent. And Paris might offer some of the best dining options in the western world, but visitors staying for more than a few days will appreciate having a fully-equipped kitchen to prepare and eat all of those delectable fresh food market purchases. For families, it’s a great way to accommodate finicky toddler taste buds and the need to heat or refrigerate baby formula.
Another benefit is that visitors get to find out what it feels like to live like a Parisian. You’ll start referring to “your” local butcher, café and florist. After a week in the same apartment, you may even get a kind “bonjour” from your French neighbors.
There are no shortage of agencies and individuals offering furnished rentals. The best ones have websites with photos and detailed descriptions of the properties and their amenities. If you’re planning on doing some serious cooking, you may prefer a kitchen with a full-sized fridge, gas burners and an oven, while others may be content with the (more typical) electric burner and mini-fridge kitchenette.
Anyone over six feet tall may also want to ask about the exact size of the beds and the shower. Location is a tricky topic. The 1st through 8th arrondissements are considered “central” Paris, but it’s more important to be near a good metro line. Try and find out the exact distance to the nearest station, or use an online map service such as www.mappy.fr to see for yourself.
Agencies have a larger selection of properties, more flexibility, and may offer extra services such as babysitting, airport pick-up, and cell phone rental. Avoid agencies charging hidden costs such as reservation or membership fees and penalties for weekend check-ins. The majority of reputable agencies include the linens, towels, electricity and water in the price of the rental (telephone calls are not often included because long-distance calls can be pricey). Also find out in advance if you have to go pick up the keys and drop them off at the agency or if will someone meet you at the apartment.
Renting directly through the owner of a furnished apartment can be more risky, but this is usually compensated by the lower prices. Take the minimal cautions of asking for proof of ownership (such as a recent bill) and photo ID before handing over your deposit or cash payment.
Finally, whether you choose an agency or book directly with the owner, be sure to find out in advance if there’s a 24-hour emergency number or a local contact person you can call in the case of a plumbing problem or a lost key. This is especially important if you’re renting from an owner who’s going on vacation during your stay. Parisian homes usually have their own little European idiosyncrasies that you’d never find in a hotel, so it also helps to get a full tour when checking in unless you want to spend the first hour trying to figure out how to unlock the door!
Where to Find a Furnished Rental
A great website with independent, unbiased ratings of the different rental agencies and listing services is Paris Apartment Info. There's a forum for sharing your own experiences as well.
To find furnished rentals advertised directly by the owners look on Craigslist Paris and in the FUSAC. The website of the Paris Tourism Office lists a few dozen reputable agencies specializing in furnished rentals such as Lodgis (47 Rue du Paradis, 10th, tel. 01 70 39 11 11), which has over 1600 apartments in Paris searchable by location, size, or budget.
For those of you who really want to feel like a local, I highly recommend the award-winning Responsible Travel company, Untours (Tel +1 888-868-6871) which arranges flights and two-week stays in Parisian apartments. 100% of the company’s profits are donated to charity.
The specialized agency RothRay (10 Rue Nicolas Flamel, 4th, tel. 01 48 87 13 37) owns and exclusively manages eleven quality properties in central Paris with a minimum 7-night stay.
Paris Apartments/Roots Travel (85 Rue de la Verrerie, 4th, tel. 01 42 74 51 56) specializes in short-term rentals in the popular Marais district, where their offices are located.
I've used Paristay in the past to find short-term, furnished rentals in Paris. It's pretty clear what you're getting, IMHO.
Expatriates.com has ads in its Housing section that are usually direct from the owners (also exchanges and sublets).
Visit Book a Flat (Book a Flat) to find your Parisian pied-à-terre. Select from a wide range of furnished apartments in the best quartiers of Paris for medium to long-term rental.
Rendez-vous à Paris (www.rendez-vousaparis.com) has a handful of carefully-chosen properties in prime central Parisian locations at €100-€400 per night).
Ah! Paris (www.ahparis.com) lists a large selection of rentals with reasonable all-inclusive per night rates (€80-€280 per night) without additional commissions or fees.
Haven in Paris Try this site if you're looking for furnished luxury vacation rentals or corporate apartment and villa rentals in Paris, Provence & Tuscany.
How do I know if the apartment is in a good, safe, central neighborhood?
And from the Secrets of Paris #35 (April 2003):
Think it’s impossible to find cheap summer housing? I’ll be in Paris and Ile-de-France for July and August to finish up my book research, and needed to find a furnished one-bedroom flat for my husband, two dogs and myself, preferably under €700/month. I asked around, got a few leads, but nothing really happened. So on my last day in Paris a few weeks ago, I checked the Particulier-à- Particulier website. The magazine comes out weekly, listing places for rent or sale all over France (mostly Paris), directly by the owners (which means no agency fees). I saw three that looked okay, made appointments that day with two and left a message for the third. The first one was fine, so I put down the deposit and cancelled the other visit (why waste time running all over the place?). I’m between the Marché aux Puces and Montmartre, next to a little market street, in a two-room flat with shower for €600/month. It has a TV/VCR, small kitchen and windows on a quiet inner courtyard. If anyone out there is looking to rent a place for the summer in France, go ahead and have a look at the website (in French only, of course).
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