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Rent a flat in Paris
by Jean Taquet
I´m trying to find out what the requirements are to rent a flat in Paris. As British and American citizen, I have a source of income in the US yielding about thousand annually. I also own property in France, in the Vendee, which I recently inherited. I have heard that French landlords are reluctant to accept foreign tenants if they are not currently employed, and if their source of income is located outside of France. Is this true? I have asked this question of over a dozen real estate agencies in Paris, and have not received a single response.
Dear Cathy, I have two main points to make in reply to your interesting question. First, it´s revealing that real estate agents haven´t answered you. This may be a larger issue revolving around the service and attentiveness "anglophones" tend to expect. It´s a seller´s market today in France and agents don´t have much trouble finding buyers or tenants for available property, and tend not to feel too obliged to render much service.
Regarding the reluctance of landlords to accept foreign tenants, I think it is fair to say that owners in France require more security than perhaps in the US or UK. Remember, it is not easy for an owner to get rid of a bad payer.
Having said that, I don´t think you´ll have a problem re-assuring a landlord. I would set up an automatic wire transfer from your account in the US or UK to your account in France, or better yet, directly to the landlord´s account, when you find one. This way you can easily prove that you have a steady source of income. The key is to re-assure the owner, and establish quickly your credibility.
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