Paris is a city of apartments owned by vacationers, something the city has been trying to change for years. Paris is not anti-tourist or vacation rental, but with everyone wanting their own place in the city, local residents are being squeezed out and buildings are vacant a majority of the year. To help relieve the general frustration, Paris has begun restricting rentals in certain buildings, areas and limiting large company acquisitions, making it slightly more tricky to find a Paris vacation rental during some times of the year.
Use these tips to find a rental where you can feel at home in Paris without overpaying or falling for a scam.
Start With a Travel Agency
Travel agencies are not a thing of the past, and because they offer valuable services they have begun to gain traction again since online travel booking became a thing. Travel agents will have and know of trusted vacation rental agencies and managers in Paris and the rest of France. They can quickly sift through the thousands of availabilities to find something in the size, neighborhood and price range that you want. Part of their services include dealing with all the back and forth arrangements, meaning you don’t have to worry about the language barrier or complicated procedures.
Ask Travel Communities and Forums for Recommendations
Research, research, RESEARCH! One of the reasons sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor are so popular is because people like to talk, share and gripe about their own experiences. Find out companies or sites that people have used to rent apartments in Paris on their own. What worked for them or was difficult. You can save a lot of time learning from others who have used a service or gone through the process already. Its a great way to make sure you will be working with a real company and not getting scammed.
Peer to Peer Rentals
For owners and renters that were tired of paying high management fees but did not like Craigslist, peer to peer vacation rental sites have become the preferred method. Airbnb is one of the easiest to use for last minute rentals all over the city of Paris, and most rentals are budget friendly. HomeAway is another reputable site, filled with established owners, but rentals are geared more towards month to month or longer rentals.
Protect Your Payment
Most reputable management companies will offer you several different options for renting a property through them, and handle the payment for both the renter and owner. If you decide to arrange a private rental though, you need to ensure that you protect your payment in case something goes wrong. Only ever make payments via a credit card or Paypal because the owners have to create accounts with each and disputes can be handled through the credit card or Paypal customer service.
Bon voyage!
About Melissa