The ParisSharing Blog

Archive for June, 2010

Paris officially ends at number 20, and this last arrondissement is certainly among those least known by tourists. Far from the ritz and glitz of Place Vendôme and the Boulevard Saint Germain, it is characterized by artistic energy, ethnic diversity, and bohemian charm.

Whilst the Père-Lachaise is the dominant tourist attraction, this part of Paris contains a rich history of popular village life. Belleville is one of such villages, as is Charonne. The rue des Pyrénées is a long, meandering, Acacia-lined street  loved by true Parisians for its wealth of local merchants and authentic Parisian fare.  Père-Lachaise is a most peculiar place, for the deceased and the living. Among the deceased, you will encounter Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Honoré de Balzac, Delacroix, Apollinaire, Edith Piaf, Chopin (to name just a few, obviously).  Among the living, you will cross paths with wandering poets, lovers, mothers walking their children, charming elderly folk, peolple with a fetish for statutes, and of course tourists from around the world. Who could imagine that when the cemetery was inaugurated, the Parisians had to be seduced in order to want to be buried there!

There are currently several Parisian homes available for rent this summer in the 20th. From an architect’s home near Père Lachaise to a one-bedroom apartment next to the Ménilmontant church, they are perfect  examples of the diversity that exists in this part of Paris.

See Belleville and Père Lachaise on a map here.

See more photos here.

The internet has opened up an incredible field of opportunity for those of savvy travelers who enjoy digging up great vacation deals. There is no shortage of choice, and you never know what you might be lucky enough to find! The downside of course is that we have limited time to browse offers and verify. With greater opportunity comes greater risk.

When renting your apartment in Paris (or elsewhere in France), it is important to keep in mind a certain number of guidelines to protect yourself. Here are a few worth writing about, as they are not necessarily common sense.

1 – Be sure the company or private owner adheres to French law regarding apartment rental. This is the only way you can be sure that you’ll get your deposit back, have legal support from the French authorities in case of a conflict with the owner, and avoid other unfortunate surprises. If you rent through a  company,  it must be a licensed licensed real estate or travel agent, registered in France. An agency licensed only in the USA, the UK, or Eastern Europe is not authorized to rent flats located in France and its owners are liable for imprisonment and fines. Surprisingly enough, there are hundreds of such agencies currently operating.  Be sure to protect yourself by renting through a registered French company.

2 – If you book through a private owner who rents property as a primary or secondary income source, make sure they have the legal status of a renter called either LMP (loueur de meubles professionnel) or LMNP (loueur de meubles non-professionnel) If not, they have no right to convert a private flat zoned for housing into a commercial holiday rental. The government is cracking down on such practices, for one thing because the transactions (often in cash) evade taxes.

3 – If you book through a company, make sure it is financially guaranteed (if it goes bankrupt, this means your deposit will not be lost!) Verify as well that it offers you additional insurance. As a renter, it is mandatory in France to carry insurance for any damages you may cause to the property you rent.

4 – Make sure your contract is written in French as well as English. If there is a problem, a contract not written in French will have no value in front of French courts. If it is only in French, well…you’ll have to brush up !

5 – Avoid any company that asks you to pay in dollars and wire the money to a bank account somewhere in a Caribbean island, USA, Agentina, Spain, Slovenia, Bulgaria or to Russia where many web sites are created using fake PayPal accounts. Avoid companies or owners that require that you pay only in cash.

6 – Avoid wiring funds to an individual who has no identify and address that you can verify. Craig’s list unfortunately attracts many scams, getting tourists on a hook with a too-good-to-believe offer.

One of the benefits of staying in a furnished apartment is that you are sure to have all the gadgets necessary to enjoy what needs to be enjoyed. Opening a wine bottle, for example. French bottles come in different shapes and sizes, but the same principle applies whether it be a Bordeaux, a Burgundy, a Côte de Rhone, a St. Nicolas de Borgeuil, or an Alsace wine. Have you ever witnessed any method significantly different from twisting some metalic helix into the cork and exerting force? Neither had I, until….

Now, in the unfortunate case where you are trapped in some clausterphobic hotel room with a cork screw, dispair not. There is another astonishing way,  as you’ll see in this video. You did bring shoes, didn’t you?

As for all the other things you will have missed out on by not staying in a Paris-Sharing accommodation, let’s just hope you come back soon!