If you're thinking about renting an apt. in Paris, read this cautionary tale
Feb 17th, 2006, 12:28 PM
#1
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If you're thinking about renting an apt. in Paris, read this cautionary tale
I know so many people rent apartments in Paris that I thought I'd pass along this bad rental experience story I just came across on Craig's List Paris rentals. The renter apparently didn't do her homework before renting and didn't check out the neighborhood. But, she got taken and didn't have her deposit returned. Here's her story with photos of the neighborhood.
http://paris.craigslist.org/apa/134118755.html
And here's the link to the site she rented from.
http://www.aparishomes.com/
http://paris.craigslist.org/apa/134118755.html
And here's the link to the site she rented from.
http://www.aparishomes.com/
Feb 17th, 2006, 01:48 PM
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I think that person wrote a post complaining on Fodors about that exact same incident. I remember it because only 1-2 things about it sound bad, but the renter has very unrealisitic ideas about what the vacation rental process is about. Mainly, that you are somehow guaranteed an apt. in a wonderful, charming neighborhood (and that it be dirt cheap for that). That apt. she complained about was very cheap rent, and that is no doubt because it is in a not so wonderful neighborhood. So, you get what you pay for. The electrician thing sounds bad if she was required to wait for a worker on her vacation, but the deposit isn't clear. She apparently moved out early and violated the contract, and would only be due a refund if they rerented it immediately. It does sound like some items weren't working in one room due to a blown fuse for a couple days, so that would deserve some compensation or waiving of the deposit forfeiture, though. The website states there are contacts in Paris, not that they lived there, as the complaintant states. She does say the apt. itself was nice enough.
Well, I don't know what lesson to be learned in this, except that people have to take responsibility for determining if a neighborhood is going to be one they like or not, and real cheap apts are not going to be the greatest in many ways, one of them most likely the neighborhood.
hey, julies, isn't that the neighborhood you wanted to stay in so much, the Bastille area? It looks like some of the streets are place d'Aligre although there are a lot of streets in that area that can look like that. That area was around the intersection of bds Lenoir and Voltaire, I think.
Well, I don't know what lesson to be learned in this, except that people have to take responsibility for determining if a neighborhood is going to be one they like or not, and real cheap apts are not going to be the greatest in many ways, one of them most likely the neighborhood.
hey, julies, isn't that the neighborhood you wanted to stay in so much, the Bastille area? It looks like some of the streets are place d'Aligre although there are a lot of streets in that area that can look like that. That area was around the intersection of bds Lenoir and Voltaire, I think.
Feb 17th, 2006, 02:01 PM
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Maybe I'm crazy but this apartment looks good...I have lived in places in Ottawa that people considered not nice but I think that it's all in the way you think of it...
Has anyone here been in that neigbourhood and can tell us if it is that bad...???
Has anyone here been in that neigbourhood and can tell us if it is that bad...???
Feb 17th, 2006, 02:24 PM
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That's why you always check out the neighborhood by looking at the photos de ville at http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/ before you rent an apartment or reserve a hotel in Paris. Lets you do a virtual walk of the neighborhood.
Feb 17th, 2006, 02:37 PM
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You can skip several clicks by going here instead: http://photos.pagesjaunes.fr
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Feb 17th, 2006, 02:59 PM
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But surely it is wrong to say that there is a landlord in the city, when there isn't even one in the country?
Surely it is wrong to ask vacation renters to show an apartment and then be hard on them if they are 15 minutes late.
And isn't it really wrong to show pictures of a street that is blocks away and lead website viewers to believe that is what the area around the apartment looks like?
Maybe the renter was unrealistic about what she would get for her money, but I think the heads up is worthwhile.
It wasn't clear to me if the remainder of her rental was what she wanted returned, but if she didn't get her deposit back, well, that's just plain wrong.
Even naive and lazy people deserve a square deal. I think it is rather hard to place all the blame on the victim.
Surely it is wrong to ask vacation renters to show an apartment and then be hard on them if they are 15 minutes late.
And isn't it really wrong to show pictures of a street that is blocks away and lead website viewers to believe that is what the area around the apartment looks like?
Maybe the renter was unrealistic about what she would get for her money, but I think the heads up is worthwhile.
It wasn't clear to me if the remainder of her rental was what she wanted returned, but if she didn't get her deposit back, well, that's just plain wrong.
Even naive and lazy people deserve a square deal. I think it is rather hard to place all the blame on the victim.
Feb 17th, 2006, 03:22 PM
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Christina--
Actually the apt. I am thinking about, and actually probably planning to take if I can ever reach the owner, is very close to the Place Bastille. I am also torn between the critical remarks you made about the area and the conversations I had with some people who actually rented it.
Believe it or not, some people who live no more than a mile from me rented the place. I specifically asked them about the neighborhood and they said that while the apartment courtyard itself was off a busy street, they were fine with the neighborhood itself although they didn't walk more than a couple blocks east on fbg St. Antoine towards Place de la Nation. We live in a pretty upscale neighborhood so I figured they would have been concerned if it were really a bad neighborhood. They did say, however, that the other Marais are I'd considered was much more upscale than the neighborhood this apt is in. The other thing thing that's intersting is that several guidebooks I've been reading have mentioned the courtyard (Cour de Bel Air) this apt. os on as a nice place to check out.
Now back to the original post here---As far as the renter's experience I posted about, she obviously didn't thoroughly check out the area, but I do think the owner needs to share a large part of the blame here.
Actually the apt. I am thinking about, and actually probably planning to take if I can ever reach the owner, is very close to the Place Bastille. I am also torn between the critical remarks you made about the area and the conversations I had with some people who actually rented it.
Believe it or not, some people who live no more than a mile from me rented the place. I specifically asked them about the neighborhood and they said that while the apartment courtyard itself was off a busy street, they were fine with the neighborhood itself although they didn't walk more than a couple blocks east on fbg St. Antoine towards Place de la Nation. We live in a pretty upscale neighborhood so I figured they would have been concerned if it were really a bad neighborhood. They did say, however, that the other Marais are I'd considered was much more upscale than the neighborhood this apt is in. The other thing thing that's intersting is that several guidebooks I've been reading have mentioned the courtyard (Cour de Bel Air) this apt. os on as a nice place to check out.
Now back to the original post here---As far as the renter's experience I posted about, she obviously didn't thoroughly check out the area, but I do think the owner needs to share a large part of the blame here.
Feb 17th, 2006, 05:06 PM
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Photbear: The "neighbourhood" photos look JUST LIKE Ottawa, the city from which I am sending this message, LOL.
Not sure what this proves, except to say that Paris turns out to have quartiers as banal as our own dear national capital.
(BTW: I live in the Glebe -- upscale neighbourhood, bordered everwhere by seediness)
Not sure what this proves, except to say that Paris turns out to have quartiers as banal as our own dear national capital.
(BTW: I live in the Glebe -- upscale neighbourhood, bordered everwhere by seediness)
Feb 17th, 2006, 05:32 PM
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Dear Julies
You shouldn't allow the bad experience (and it was pretty nasty) to discourage you from renting in Paris.Montmartre is a vibrant and exciting place to stay and my wife and I walked around the area at night without any trouble. I am from Australia and I had the same difficulty that you had. You rent from your country and all you have is a web page to guide you. I was lucky in that I had some French friends who checked out my choices before I went there. I now act as the rental agent in Australia for the owner because I've been there and lived in the place. My web site is <www.eurapartments.com>.
You shouldn't allow the bad experience (and it was pretty nasty) to discourage you from renting in Paris.Montmartre is a vibrant and exciting place to stay and my wife and I walked around the area at night without any trouble. I am from Australia and I had the same difficulty that you had. You rent from your country and all you have is a web page to guide you. I was lucky in that I had some French friends who checked out my choices before I went there. I now act as the rental agent in Australia for the owner because I've been there and lived in the place. My web site is <www.eurapartments.com>.
Feb 18th, 2006, 04:00 AM
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Micheline...He did not say it looked like the Glebe.
I think it looks like the equivalent to Montreal Road in Vanier...Not the best part of town but nothing to get scared over.
but then again, this comes from someone who lived in Old Hull in the Bad old days and loved it.
I think it looks like the equivalent to Montreal Road in Vanier...Not the best part of town but nothing to get scared over.
but then again, this comes from someone who lived in Old Hull in the Bad old days and loved it.
Feb 18th, 2006, 04:57 AM
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Photobear, you're right. It does indeed look like Montreal Road in Vanier.
tedgale, I'm still planning to be in Ottawa soon, but my dates are unsettled. I need to have our air tickets in and out of the Middle Kingdom before I can show up at the Chinese embassy for our visas. (We're going to Beijing and Hong Kong in April.) I'll send you an e-mail when my dates are firm.
Anselm
tedgale, I'm still planning to be in Ottawa soon, but my dates are unsettled. I need to have our air tickets in and out of the Middle Kingdom before I can show up at the Chinese embassy for our visas. (We're going to Beijing and Hong Kong in April.) I'll send you an e-mail when my dates are firm.
Anselm
Feb 18th, 2006, 05:07 AM
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Anselm: Hope we (and the Michelin road atlas) can still connect:
We are off to Rome the evening of February 28.
And not a moment too soon -- yesterday's sudden flash-freeze (from lakes of turbid slush at 8 am to violent winds and bitter cold at noon) just about finished me off.
No doubt on Montreal Road it was even worse, LOL.
We are off to Rome the evening of February 28.
And not a moment too soon -- yesterday's sudden flash-freeze (from lakes of turbid slush at 8 am to violent winds and bitter cold at noon) just about finished me off.
No doubt on Montreal Road it was even worse, LOL.
