Finding an apartment in Paris in 2 weeks

Oct 18

I've lived in ten apartments in France, five of them in Paris. Finding one in Paris is still one of the hardest things I've done here. Everything is in French, landlords want a guarantor, and nobody talks in BHKs: it's T2s and T3s. My last search took two weeks, which is fast for Paris. Here's exactly how.

Before you search

Pick a budget and an area. Rule of thumb: rent around a third of your net income. Live close to work, because you go there every day. Mine was €1,200 max, in Clichy, the 17th or the 18th, with Asnières-sur-Seine or Colombes as plan B.
Must-haves and nice-to-haves. I cook a lot, so a dishwasher was a must. I'd happily take a 4th floor without a lift to get it.
Your dossier, ready on your phone. ID, residence card, work contract, last three payslips, last tax notice, guarantor documents (or Visale). Keep it in one cloud folder and a printed copy in your bag.

The apps and websites I used

Jinka (free): pulls listings from every website and notifies you instantly. This is where I found my current place. Set an alert with your area, budget and non-negotiables.
PAP: owner to tenant, no agency fees. Great for new buildings; in an old Paris building I'd rather have an agency for the plumbing surprises.
SeLoger and leboncoin: the big ones.
La Carte des Colocs: flatshares. I found two of mine here. Furniture, wifi and insurance already set up.
Facebook groups: surprisingly effective. I found my Lille place there.
Lodgis: furnished rentals for expats. Even if you don't use it, it's a good way to check going rates by district.

Seven habits that made it work

Keep the alert on and your intro message ready. Mine said I had a stable job, I don't throw parties, and I spend my evenings on my computer: a quiet neighbour.
Act on every lead immediately. Half a day late and the flat is gone. Book the visit; you can always say no later.
Be early. Some visits have ten people at once.
Bring your dossier printed. When the place is right, hand it over in the room and say "je la prends".
Ask questions: neighbourhood, charges, insurance, repairs.
Visit even when you don't feel like it. I got the alert for my current flat at 8pm on a rainy Thursday after three visits that day. I went anyway. I did about fifteen visits in two weeks. Go all in, or it drags on for months.
Ask for a guarantor. When I wanted to move into Paris, a friend offered to be my guarantor before I even asked. People in Paris know how painful it is. The worst they can say is no.

Coming for a job?

Ask your company first: some have accommodation for your first months, some work with a relocation agency, some will help with the guarantor. If not, you may have to wait until your probation period ends, when you'll have enough payslips. Until then, a flatshare beats an Airbnb.

Free guarantee and housing aid

Visale: a free guarantee from Action Logement for students and young workers.
CAF: housing aid (APL). Apply the month you move in; it isn't backdated.

Watch the full walkthrough: Finding an apartment in Paris in 2 weeks.