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Post by fumobici on Apr 3, 2016 2:06:54 GMT
Maybe you could broadcast the Islamic call to prayer the times they are in? That'd shift them somewhere else I bet. Excellent. Hosting an AirBnB surely must violate whatever building rules are in place and probably local government building use codes as well. It's also unlikely the income derived from the renting of the apartment is being declared as taxable so if all else fails, notifying the tax authorities might apply the final blow. I'm pretty sure these arrangements are illegal almost anywhere. In fact like Uber and Lyft, that's the whole business model.
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Post by bjd on Apr 3, 2016 12:31:35 GMT
There is probably an office at Paris city hall to deal with it. They were supposed to be carrying out inspections to check whether apartments were being rented as AirBnBs, since they are indeed illegal.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 3, 2016 14:07:07 GMT
I don't know if the people who are advertising the apartments in my complex of 3 buildings own them or just have a yearly lease. It is legal for owners to rent for up to 4 months, which would be their normal vacation time, but they are expected to declare revenue and pay taxes on the income. Some do, some accept most of the payment in cash, which goes directly under the nearest mattress. It is illegal for yearly renters to sub-lease their apartments without written permission from their landlord and the rest of the residents on the property. Many people have absentee landlords, so get away with murder - especially if they slip the gardienne a few euros to keep quiet. But neighbors can and do "drop a dime", which means that the tourists might hear a knock at the door on the part of the Mayor's Task Force which is busily checking out all rentals listed on the internet. I don't really mind the noise - there are a lot of young kids in this building, and people tend to have birthday parties and regular Sunday dinners here. But they are considerate about it and it doesn't go on forever. What I really can't stand is the stupidity and arrogance of tourists who think that just because they "paid good money" they can do whatever they want. End of rant - this kind of talk got me banned from TripAdvisor - where most of these idiot tourists come from. kerouac - I didn't look hard enough, but I am probably in your photos somewhere around the Bastille this morning. Definitely not in running shorts, though it was almost hot enough to wear them today.
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Post by lagatta on Apr 3, 2016 15:20:27 GMT
Yes, especially the pre-dawn one. Especially when they've had a late night out.
Problem is, this would annoy your neighbours. What would annoy the annoying, and not the others?
Normal family or neighbour noise doesn't usually annoy me. My place is soundproofed on one side (after a wall was rebuilt) but on the other, it is practically as if my next-door neighbour were my flatmate. I hear him snoring. Usually he's quiet (so am I, unless I have friends over, and that is in the kitchen in the back) but sometimes he has the TV, radio or recording (Internet etc) blaring. I think he isn't always conscious of it; he has an "orphan disease" akin to MS and it sometimes affects his senses as well. I empathise, but I do play music on my side...
It gets worse than that obtuse family, as some people rent a place to party every day and night. I wonder if there have ever been any drunken brawls, with injuries or even accidental deaths, at Air b&bs?
As for the closets, my flat has two tiny ones; one in the bedroom, the other in the hall. My building is from the early 20th century; older places often did not have closets at first, so if they do, they were installed later on in very awkward places. The one in the bedroom houses the water heater, making it a "spa for moths".
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Post by whatagain on Apr 4, 2016 12:19:25 GMT
Great Chexbres ! At least you are sorted, even it turns out to be temporary -and you'll have shredded some papers in the meantime, so next move wil lbe easier ;-)
It is funny to read your comments, as we are having the same problem, from the owner side. My wife just bought an apartment close to home for rental purpose (year long, leagal and declared...). So we (I) have removed the wallpaper (took me 2 full days for 2 small rooms), then I discovered that recycling collecting points refuse to take wallpaper... grrr.
My daughter started painting (white) but left for holiday so we hired someone to finish. We expect some problems with the original owners as they own the remaining 2 flats in the building and they have heavy charges for the common rooms - so I'll have a look at it... these extra charges go on top of the rental, for the guy who rents, but anyway if it is too much, we have to lower our rent so...
The apartment is lovely, recent and full of light. not in Molenbeek.
(Anyway, I like these problems better than asking oneself how to pay the checks at the end of the month...)
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Post by lagatta on Apr 4, 2016 20:08:35 GMT
Is Molenbeek as bad as its rep? A lot of the streets look fine, though I suppose the presence of so many fundamentalist nutters might make life difficult, especially for women or gay people, and of course for people of the same ethnic origins who aren't fundamentalist nutters and can't stand them.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 4, 2016 20:45:32 GMT
Whatagain - well, the downside of renting is that nothing is ever perfect, and the renter doesn't have the power to fix anything. I've been having problems with the shower - pouring water constantly - and M. Bricolage came over and showed me that I just had to find "the right spot" when I turned the handle and it would stop dripping. Well, that worked OK - though it's annoying to think about - but I haven't had hot water in the shower for the last week, though there's plenty in the sink next to it.
This is an apartment that was fixed up nicely probably in the '60's, but hasn't been maintained since then. If it were me, I would dismantle the "mitigeur thermostatique" and clean out the calcium deposits with boiling vinegar - but it doesn't belong to me, so I'll have to complain about it again. I'm sure M. Bricolage will turn the knob "just so" and that will be the end of it as far as he's concerned. There are also 2 "seche-serviettes" which apparently died long ago. The guy was supposed to come back and replace them, but I doubt he will.
I'm a little worried about complaining to the ferocious woman who runs the management agency, and who clearly wants my money but doesn't want to hear a peep out of me. It's owned by an old widower, who doesn't want to spend any money. I'm really thinking that I won't paint after all, and probably will stop unpacking anything but the necessary stuff I need for everyday. There's never any perfect apartment, but this one is really starting to get on my nerves and I'm getting a little depressed.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 5, 2016 15:56:36 GMT
...make that more than a little depressed. I did send a polite email to the apartment manager today, who responded as I thought she might, screaming in capital letters - "Everything was functioning perfectly well when the previous renters were there!!! I will have to ask the owner." Perhaps M. Bricolage will confirm what he said to me when I asked why nobody reported that the plumbing was on the fritz - "They didn't want to get kicked out for complaining and didn't want the rent to go up."
Meanwhile, I have no hot water and am bathing in the kitchen sink.
I started tossing stuff today, and am looking for another place, as I think this apartment isn't going to work out as well as I thought it might.
I'm sure I can break the lease if needed, since the agency broke the new laws protecting renters by accepting confidential bank information and 3 months' worth of rent in advance.
Damn, damn, damn...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 16:17:06 GMT
Ouch!
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Post by chexbres on Apr 5, 2016 16:23:20 GMT
You said it, buster. I was desperate to find a place, and though I reported everything during the brief examination with the agent's assistant, she didn't take proper notes - apparently on purpose. More and more, I'm thinking that the previous renters did not stay a year, as they said they did. It's for certain that nobody cleaned the bathrooms or kitchen for at least that length of time...haven't seen anything that disgusting since Katrina.
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Post by bjd on Apr 5, 2016 19:42:58 GMT
Poor Chexbres! You are having a hard time. We have basically always owned our own place in France, but from what I have seen and heard from people who rented, the agencies do nothing once they get your money.
Some years ago there were Americans here on sabbatical. When they left, they asked me to deal with paying the final bills and getting their deposit back from the agency through which they had rented. It took me months of phone calls and hassle to actually get anything back.
Those "mitigeur thermostatique" are only good if you have an electric water heater with the water at a set temperature. If you have a gas heater, they cut off the water if the temperature is not right, if the cold water runs too long before getting to your shower.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 6, 2016 6:57:06 GMT
Thanks bjd - I would buy another apartment if I could, but that's not going to happen. Unfortunately, a gas heater is what I have now - it's brand new, and the water is hot in the sink next to the shower. It's just that the shower has not been maintained properly, and the 40 years of "calcaire" has made it impossible to regulate the temperature using the little buttons.
My ex-husband mentioned that he wanted some of this furniture, so I've asked him to look into shipping it. It might be better for me to rent a furnished place, since they can't threaten to kick you out so easily.
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Post by bjd on Apr 6, 2016 8:13:17 GMT
Leases are different on furnished apartments. They are for a minimum of one year, whereas for unfurnished they are for 3. Even that one-year limit didn't use to exist and it was changed so that people couldn't do short leases.
In fact, a lot of the new laws about housing have been passed in favour of tenants -- you as a tenant can leave when you want. Conditions for getting rid of a tenant are much more complicated for landlords. This, of course, means that some people prefer to leave a place empty rather than risking renting to someone who might not pay the rent or whatever. This just makes the housing situation more difficult, especially in Paris.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 6, 2016 10:07:47 GMT
Now the sink in the bathroom - which I haven't touched since 07h00 - is pouring water all over the floor underneath it. It's coming from a pipe in the wall and the trap underneath. How this is possible, I have no idea, but it's ruined a lot of my prescription medications. I've invited the agency to contact me by telephone. I'm also looking into the possibility of moving to Belgium.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2016 12:35:55 GMT
I am so sorry you have been having such a time of it Chexbres. Wishing you better luck with your next place.
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Post by lagatta on Apr 6, 2016 13:44:02 GMT
Where would you live in Belgium?
Sure, the Belgians I know tend to pay less in mortgage payments or rent than Parisians, but there is no city in Belgium anywhere as large as Greater Paris. I don't want to intrude on anything personal, but wondering why you'd move more to Belgium (north!) than to another city in France.
Indeed, that place sounds like a dud, seriously neglected. Too bad.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 6, 2016 14:17:38 GMT
I picked Belgium because I know that WhatAgain would just love to have me as a tenant I finally reached the Dragon Lady and gave her a piece of my mind - accused her or misrepresenting the apartment, threatened to withhold rent, go to the authorities, etc. She is supposed to come over soon. She told me to cut off the water, but I refused, because it's bad enough I can't take a shower, but if I can't use the toilet...
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Post by bjd on Apr 6, 2016 16:27:53 GMT
Antwerp is really pleasant, Brussels has its charm too and I find the Belgians nice and friendly. Anyway, it's all close to Paris if you want a taste of crowds and obnoxious real estate agents and lousy landords.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 6, 2016 17:21:12 GMT
Frankly, Mars might be a better option - I hear there's very little plumbing there.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2016 17:25:41 GMT
I thought that Belgium was on the table because a number of apartments have recently become available in Molenbeek.
But it's true that Brussels is more expensive than Paris for many things.
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Post by lagatta on Apr 6, 2016 19:21:00 GMT
For what? I admit that when I was there, I was in Forest and the closest supermarket (not very big) was either a lidl or an aldi. Other than that, we shopped at a public market and some small "ethnic" stores. Not ever living in Belgium or spending more than a month there at a time, I have little sense of rents/mortages, taxes other than those on consumer goods, rates for phones, internet, electricity etc. We could buy cheap wine at the lidl/aldi. I thought Antwerp was very pretty, prettier than Brussels, and far more cyclable. But I speak little Dutch. Oh, I'd certainly learn it, but I doubt that at my age, I'd ever be really fluent. Friends are moving back to Gent/Ghent/Gand from France - that is a very cyclable town.
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Post by htmb on Apr 6, 2016 19:32:03 GMT
So sorry about all the troubles, Chexbres. It sounds like you need some cheering up!
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Post by chexbres on Apr 6, 2016 20:09:15 GMT
htmb - yep, that sure would be a good option! The dog and I split the one remaining beer - we would have gone out to get more, but it's raining too hard. The agency owner did show up on time, and got the message right away when she saw the amount of water gushing out of the wall. I also made her realize that the shower was kaput, as well as the two "seche-serviettes". To her credit, she took everything seriously and agreed to explain to the owner that these things are quite serious and must be repaired as soon as possible. She climbed up my ladder and shut off the cold water, but at least I have hot water to work with. The repairman is supposed to show up tomorrow to fix the sink and take measurements for the shower and one towel rack, which is all I really need. If this comes to pass, and if they replace the joint compound - most of which fell out of the window casings when I cleaned the glass - I might as well stay here until I find something better. I really can't afford the expense of moving again, and I'm way too tired to even think about it. Thanks everyone for your support!
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Post by whatagain on Apr 6, 2016 20:17:18 GMT
Charleroi is pretty cheap. Basically prices are similar for food You pay more for restaurant in Belgium and less for housing. You pay more taxes but only if you work.
And correct molenbeek is nothing special been there recently didn't note anything so much out of ordinary.
Obviously terrorist didn't train in the streets.
Welcome in Rixensart Chezbres !
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2016 13:54:18 GMT
I picked Belgium because I know that WhatAgain would just love to have me as a tenant One more daughter should hardly make that much of a difference.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2016 14:24:16 GMT
I think that plumbing is the #1 problem in just about all of the old buildings of Paris because nobody ever wants to rip the guts out of the structure and replace everything. In my old building we need to change all of the pipes that are more than a century old, but the majority don't want to make that decision. They're just happy that there is so much calcite "protecting" the pipes that our lead readings are well under the authorised limit.
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Post by bjd on Apr 7, 2016 14:42:49 GMT
When our daughter lived in an old building in Paris, one day the neighbour two floors down came to tell her that she was responsible for a leak in their apartment ceiling -- the plaster had fallen down on their bed! It turned out that the leak came from the washing machine on the 3rd floor (the one in between), but the woman in that apartment claimed she had water running down her wall from our place. We called a plumber who found that our place had nothing to do with any leaks, but the problem in those old places is that the pipes run all over the place and tracing them through a series of floors and walls is complicated.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 7, 2016 15:54:01 GMT
M. Bricolage showed up this morning, and none too happy about it, either. He brought along one small pair of pliers, that was all. He took a look underneath the sink - somehow still dripping even with the water shut off all night - tightened the screws with his fingers and said it was fine.
Next, he proceeded to explain to me that European plumbing is completely different from American plumbing, and that all I had to do to ensure getting a hot shower was to turn the hot water heater up all the way and wait about an hour. This was true with ancient systems, which have been out of use for decades. When I pointed out that the sink about 3 feet away and produces hot water instantly, he told me showers and sinks don't work the same way as they do in America. The hot water heater is a brand-new state-of-the-art instant model, so I know his head is so far up his rear end there's no use arguing with him...but since he kept yelling about American women who don't understand plumbing, I was yelling, too. He also said that there was nothing wrong with the shower - all I had to do was find "the sweet spot" on the knobs so the water would cooperate. I told him this was bullshit and his boss said it had to be replaced, so he had no choice but to go shopping for the parts and get approval to buy the new knobs. Whenever workmen see a woman with an American accent, you don't stand a chance unless you are willing to play rough.
Right after he left, when I saw that the leak was still leaking, I called my "real" plumber, who worked for me in my old apartment and came over right away. He saw the problem immediately - the leak originates from a bad connection behind the tile, not from the bolts outside. So he will cut out the tile, repair the problem, replace the tile as a "trap door", so it's easily accessible if needed, and I will have to file paperwork to get reimbursed. Since he's charging me peanuts, I might not even go to the trouble to do that.
He also told me that I was lucky to get out of my old appartement when I did, because all hell has broken loose - lots of damage due to leaks everywhere, nobody knows where they're coming from, several plumbers trying to figure things out, the insurance companies will have a field day. He thinks that it's due to the final gasp from the heating system - which used hot water vapor - and the pipes, which were terribly corroded, just finally exploded. Luckily, my appartement has not yet been affected, and I'm still insured until Madame BigBucks takes possession of the keys on Monday morning.
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Post by bjd on Apr 7, 2016 16:58:17 GMT
Sounds like you got out of there just in time. And it's also good that you have at least one competent plumber, unlike Mr Bricolage.
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Post by chexbres on Apr 17, 2016 7:49:28 GMT
So, "le jour J" finally arrives - the date of the final act of sale, which follows the legal 10-day period of reflection that was illegally prolonged by Madame M___'s extremely busy social calendar. But since she knows I'm desperate for her money, she knew she could get away with it. She herself had chosen the date and time, so my notaire and I took a taxi for the 1 hour ride out to Vitry-sur-Seine, during rush hour. When we arrived, we asked which conference room we were assigned to, and were met by a blank stare from the receptionist. She verified that there was no meeting scheduled at this time, at which point I almost hit the floor in a dead faint. The notaire insisted that there was some mistake, and after some fussing around, it was determined that we should join Madame M___'s representative upstairs.
It seems that Madame M___ had arrived at 09h30, instead of 17h30 - the hour she had originally chosen. She insisted that she had the time right, had even brought a bottle of champagne, and succeeded in working herself up to such a state that she wanted to cancel the sale. Perhaps this had been her plan, perhaps not... ((sidebar: this had been my fear all along, since Madame M___ kept complaining that she didn't really like the apartment, couldn't rip out the walls to make a NY-style loft, and had no earthly idea why she was buying it)) Luckily, her representative had been dealing with her for years, so convinced her to fill out a "procuration", which allowed the sale to go forward as planned, in her absence. It was all over in about 12 minutes, and I am enjoying being a millionaire for at least another week, when my banker gets back from vacation and I have to repay my mortgage...and change banks.
Of course, Madame M___ required the keys, and demanded that they be delivered to the apartment at 10h00 the following day, when workmen were supposed to arrive. Since I was now the gleeful non-owner, I gave this job to the real estate agent, who did show up, only to find that nobody was there and he had to come back two days later - but at least he was being paid to do that.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch: The owner of the agency changed her mind about fixing the shower, until I informed her that M Bricolage had taken photos of the dismantled and very cruddy shower fittings. That changed everything, so she sent a message that she'd given my number to a plumber she'd worked with for years - who of course did not (and never will) call me, nor will he answer the daily messages I have been leaving him. So, I'll get my guy over here and just get it over with. I may decide to deal with the paperwork at the end of my lease, but since there's no mention of the defective plumbing in the rental contract, I doubt it will be worth pursuing. Chalk one up for lessons learned - the last time I rented long-term was in 1983...
I finally found my toaster, which was packed in the same box with my color copy printer, and have found more brand-new towels than I know what to do with - left over from impulse buying at Metro, the restaurant supply store, in 2009. Unpacking very slowly, the hidey-hole is getting filled up with stuff I can't deal with or have no place to store. Still on the fence about the painting thing - I would do it myself, except that there are lots of cracks that need to be filled, sanded, etc. Sticking posters on the walls with that stuff teachers use would be an option, but it doesn't seem to interest me - I guess I'll just have to think about the cost and whether or not I will remain here.
The residents had their yearly meeting this past week, and I heard them discussing the AirBnB problem. Maybe something positive will come of that. The noise and damage from heavy suitcases bumping up and down the stairs at all hours is making everyone insane, especially since they just paid a lot of money to redo the stairways and common areas.
And to end on a high note: someone either left a lit cigarette in the trash bin, or set it on fire on purpose when it was put out on the street. A whole lot of drama, a lot of stinky smoke, and lots of yelling from the Portugese gardienne - but at least it wasn't directed at me, this time.
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