Paris apartment problems

[LouisXIV]

In recent years there has been much discussion with the rentals of apartments in Paris, this may also be a problem in other cities of the world. It seems that the city of Paris is cracking down on people renting out apartments on a weekly basis and in some cases they are not allowing people to rent some of these apartments once they arrive in Paris. My understanding is that these rentals can only be for a few months a year on a weekly basis.

I looks like there are still a lot of people renting apartments in Paris on a weekly basis with out a problem, but it is still possible you could have a problem when you arrive and not be able to get the apartment. My question is. Is there a way to check to see if the apartment is conforming to the city's rules before you rent it? And what are your options if you have a problem?

Do any of the apartment rental sites offer you any protection in a cases like this?

[Deleted]

The city is currently compiling a list of legal rentals, but it is a very short list so far...

The apartment rental sites offer no guarantees because they claim to be listing services of places that the owners swore were legal.

A lot more information will come out about this in coming months when some people really do end up out on the street.

"Appart-hôtels" are a safer bet -- and legal although I'm sure there are some rengades on this list: www.cityzenbooking.com/fr/r-3-85-paris.aspx?gclid=CJHevsHZnccCFQX3wgodZaUP-Q

[LouisXIV]

Thank you Kerouac2. I am sure the link could be helpful to some.

As more information is available on this topic this might be a good place to put that information to save others some time and problems.

[bjd]

The other day I heard an interview with someone is charge of this situation at Paris city hall. He said that they don't really object to someone renting out his/her apartment while they are away on vacation, but are opposed to those who buy up apartments to rent out exclusively to tourists. For one, it takes them off the rental/buyer market, and furthermore, they don't pay any taxes.

I understand that Berlin is also forbidding Airbnb but don't know whether that has come into effect yet.

[chexbres]

Open can, exit worms...somehow I feel this is a "plant", but what the heck.

Here goes - I'm much more invested in this apartment issue than kerouac is, because he doesn't live in tourist central, where short-term rentals have exploded since 2009. I live in the Marais, which is a different story.

Here are the basic facts:

The Mayor's office has been investigating all rentals listed on the internet for the last 2 years, and has 25 agents who are visiting apartments to complete the dossiers before the property owner can be sanctioned. It's a tedious process, but will continue until all of the apartments are investigated.

First on the list are agencies or individuals with multiple properties for rent. Since most of these property owners do not live in France and most do not respond to demands from the Mayor's office, people have still been able to rent, at least for the time being.

The crackdown is on-going, though no advance notice will be given as to which neighborhoods will be targeted next.
To date, the Mayor's office has approved approximately 107 legal rentals.

When the agent comes to visit, the "guests" will not be evicted, fined, or otherwise inconvenienced, except if they open the door to speak to the friendly agent. If someone has the keys, the agents have the legal right to enter the apartment, just to have a look around. By this point, they are already aware that the apartment is illegal.

If the property owner has been convicted, all listings must be removed from the internet, and all rental activity must cease immediately. This can cause last-minute cancellations, which are becoming more frequent. Recently, one very popular agency had all their apartments "disappear" overnight, leaving many people without a place to stay.
A popular excuse is that "plumbing or construction work" has made the apartment unavailable.

If you rent from an agency which has "lost" your apartment, and if the agency has other options, you might be given another unit - but it might not meet your specifications, might not be in your preferred neighborhood and might not have the amenities you paid for.

If you rent from an individual, you'll receive a refund and will have to find your own place to stay.

A full-time resident has the right to rent his apartment for the length of his normal vacation period - up to 4 months. How do you find out if this is the case? It's impossible - mostly because many people will lie when there is money to be made.

A full-time tenant or student holding a lease does not have the right to sublet his apartment. This is frequently the case with rentals listed on AirBnB.
If the landlord discovers that someone else is staying in the apartment, the "guest" can be evicted.

Neighbors and "gardiennes" who live in the building can and do notify the Mayor's office when they have had enough of strangers coming and going in the building. It doesn't matter how respectful or quiet visitors are, they simply are not welcome.

If an agency manages an apartment which is not occupied by the owner for a minimum of 8 months out of the year, it is an illegal apartment.

All agencies have the legal right to list property for rent.
Agencies are under no obligation to keep their calendars up-to-date or to provide assurance that the apartment is legal.
If an agency collects the nightly room tax, this does not mean the apartment is legal, just the agency is.

Most apartment buildings in Paris are "copropriétés", which function like condo associations. The residents agree to abide by the rules of the building for the benefit of all concerned. The regulations of many "copropriétés" do not permit short-term rentals.

People invest a great deal of money to purchase residential property in Paris, for the express purpose of having a place to raise their families and live as peacefully as possible.

Tourists renting short-term have the choice to book legal apart'hotels like Citadines and Adagio, or they can book hotels in Paris. Otherwise, there are many legal vacation rentals beyond the outskirts of Paris which are worth investigating.

[chexbres]

The list that kerouac provided contains a very few legal apart'hotels, but the majority of them are the same illegal apartments which have migrated to a site containing the keyword "apart'hotel".

[LouisXIV]

Thank you for all the above comments. On the travel forums I see people making negative statements with out all the facts. It looks like in Paris the "facts" are still being determined. I feel a tenant has the right to know what the rules are before he enters into a situation. Please keep the information coming.

[lagatta]

Indeed. While I agree with chexbres about owners or longterm tenants not being inconvenienced, there is a definite problem with "hotels" no longer corresponding to what most visitors want. I don't want to have to eat out three times a day, and, being a freelancer, want a place while I can also do some work while travelling.

[fumobici]

Yep, I want a darn kitchen! I don't want a hotel room, even a nice one. I never feel more like cooking than I do near a great market like exist in Paris.

[gabriele]

A late reply but hope it's useful. I rented a tiny cottage apartment in Montmartre over New Years in 2003/4 and was so satisfied I followed the owner's website. (I always rented gites or houses when I'd stay i the south of France, no hotels). She was from Canada so it was easy to correspond with her and when she expanded to rep for other owners I bookmarked that also.
When the Loi Alur was being discussed I wrote her to ask how it would affect her business and she wrote back in depth about how they are already paying taxes and have joined a group of like-minded responsible people.
Here's the main website:
www.perfectlyparis.com/index.html
Here's the association site:
www.splm-france.fr/about-us/
There's more info on the French part of the site where they discuss the Loi Alur, etc.
And if what Perfectly Paris offers doesn't interest you, here's the page for all the other SPLM members:
www.splm-france.fr/category/membres/
Good luck, have a great time

[bixaorellana]

Oh, that is helpful! Thanks so much, Gabriele.

[LouisXIV]

Here is something related to this topic that may be of interest concerning Airbnb: www.theverge.com/2016/11/17/13665454/airbnb-trips-travel-agency-tour-guides