Rented accommodation (flats and houses)

• Going through ads

Get ready with a pen, a phone and lots of patience!

  Step one   Choose the right newspapers. Every major city has a reference one: La Charente librein Angoulême, Les Dernières nouvelles d'Alsace in Strasbourg, La Dépêche du Midi in Toulouse... For the Paris region, use national papers such as Le Figaro or Le Parisien, keeping in mind that 90% of ads have been put in by real estate agencies. If you want to rent from a private landlord, opt for specialised magazines such as De particulier à particulier or La Centrale des particuliers, which cover all of France.

You can also use free newspapers, which you can find in mailboxes but the ads are not checked and not always reliable. Step two   Learn to understand the jargon. For "cute apartment", translate "tiny". "Charming" usually means "it needs renovation". "Upper floor" means "no lift". Write out a series of questions to ask on the phone (the exact address, the general condition of the flat, the exact dimensions, which direction it faces, the amount of service charges to pay...). This usually ensures you that you are not wasting your time going to visit apartments which are totally unsuitable.

• Using the Internet

More and more real estate agencies have their website. Web users can whittle down the choice by including specific criteria such as: to rent or to buy, area, size, price, etc. Some of the sites even provide photos or the possibility of a virtual visit. However most of these sites were created by agencies, so you will still have to phone for additional information.

Besides, some ads may not have been updated.

Some useful links: www.pap.fr www.entreparticuliers.com www.fnaim.fr www.orpi.com www.seloger.com

www.avendrealouer.fr

• Real estate agents

Estate agents, who belong to a strictly regulated profession, act as middlemen between owners and tenants. They get paid for the services they provide: their "commission" corresponds to roughly one month of rent. It is difficult to avoid going through an agency as they handle approximately half the volume of total transactions.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the rents they offer are often lower than those asked for by individual owners. However, not all agencies follow the rules and unpleasant surprises do occur, so be careful. Choose a real estate agent who belongs to a network, such as the National Real Estate Federation (FNAIM) or the National Confederation of Property Managers (CNAB).(See addresses below)  

• Social housing: young people have priority

Young people looking for their first council flat (HLM) have priority, along with large and single parent families. However, that still represents a lot of people and waiting lists are long (two and a half years on average and even longer in the Paris region). Still, you can always try your luck, as long as you pass the means test. You will have to produce many documents: payslips, tax forms, identity papers, residence permits for foreigners... You should submit the completed file to a municipal or departmental HLM office. Note that you do not have to be a resident in the town or department where you submit the file.

For further information, have a look at: www.union-hlm.org  

• Rights and duties

Renting an apartment is not something to be taken on lightly. It's important to know your rights and duties in order to avoid falling into the many traps for the unwary.

Read more about your rights and duties in the attached document, edited by the Youth Information Centre in Paris (CIDJ). Source: CIDJ Photos: Goodshoot.com