Cobblestone Paris Apartment Rental

I have rented from Cobblestone Paris Rentals three times (2013, 2015, 2017) and have always been satisfied. They are very easy to work with and everything is as represented on their website. You need to contact them directly to ask about their compliance with current Paris regulations. The onus for apartment registration is on the apartment owner, not the agency or listing site. Cobblestone does own some of their apartments, but all of the apartments are pretty standardized in that some of the furnishings and amenities are the same. They are operated almost as an apartment-hotel though the units are scattered all over, and that probably does not make them exempt from the regulations. They do collect taxes from the renters. I rented 2 studios: Studio on the Square and Belle du Marais. I would be comfortable renting from them again.

Thanks Carolyn! Studio on the Square is the one I'm looking at. Can you give me your thoughts on it?

Look for the 13-digit registration number before you begin. Save yourself some heartbreak.

The onus for apartment registration is on the apartment owner, not the agency or listing site.

The portions of the law with which I am familiar clearly state that on line platforms must not list unregistered apartments. They are also responsible for limiting at any one rental location to 120 annually. The penalties owners risk are as high as 50,000€ per illegal rental but what I have not yet seen are the specific penalties to which on line platforms expose themselves for non compliance. Up to this point I know of no legal action taken by the city against agencies.

I understand that there is a meeting in early April of legislators to discuss this very issue. Until there is clear guidance on exactly who is responsible for what possible infraction of rental laws, I would absolutely avoid any rental not displaying the 13 digit registration number.

Thanks for the reminder about the registration number. I just emailed Cobblestone to confirm there is a number.

My search is proving to be much harder than in the past. I've never traveled to Paris in the height of tourist season, I've always had more time to plan, and there weren't restrictions on apartments. I did reserve a hotel room that can be cancelled without penalty, just in case I can't find something I like better.

Now I see that the rolling train strike will extend through my visit. I'm hoping it won't affect my train from presumably Cologne. The Germany portion of the trip is to visit with family and hasn't been planned in its entirety yet.

I just emailed Cobblestone to confirm there is a number.

Only numbers clearly displayed on a platform's website meet the legal requirement. Verbal or written confirmation suggesting compliance with the law is meaningless.

Good point Tocard. Sadly I don't see a registration number. I'm going to keep searching...

Andrea, regarding Studio on the Square, the apartment regardless of the registration issue. There is one flight of stairs up to the apartment. They are fairly steep, but were not a big problem for me with my knee and hip replacements. The apartment is furnished exactly as depicted on the website. Very generous supply of soaps, shower gel, shampoo, laundry soap - I didn't bring any from home or have to buy any. The Murphy bed is very comfortable, but it is heavy and I was unable to close it up due to a recent shoulder replacement (yeah, I know I'm bionic). I left the bed down and there was still plenty of room (I was alone), but a small space to get between the bed and the bathroom. It overlooks a courtyard and is very quiet - no street noise. The kitchenette is well supplied with oil, vinegar and spices. I did very little cooking, eating my main meal at lunch and mostly cold dinners in. Great location with a nearby Monoprix and supermarket, cafes, bakeries, etc. Short walk to Metro Line 1 at St. Paul. La Bastille Metro is further but still walkable. On the #69 bus line plus 2 or 3 others. I think the pros far outweigh the cons and I would consider staying there again.

I too have rented through Cobblestone Paris & will be doing so again for my trip next year as well as my friend & his wife.

The "studio" that Carolyn is describing is small. If there is only one of you, you might fit, but Carolyn slept on the sofa bed.

Chexbres, I saw that the studio is quite small. I will be traveling by myself.

An update on Cobblestone Paris - I have exchanged emails with them twice. In both of my emails I asked about the registration number. I received prompt replies that were very lengthy, but neither addressed the specific question I asked. I emailed a 3rd time telling her I was very interested, but wanted to know about the required number. That was yesterday at 20:38 Paris time. As of 15:13 Paris time I have not gotten a reply. If I do I will report back.

I have booked at two hotels that I can cancel. I wanted to have a back up plan, just in case an apartment doesn't happen. Thanks for your help everyone!

Hi andrea
Sent you a private message. Let us know if that helps out. Yes things are way different this year. Hotels are booked especially high season, never travel the summer. When you get lemons make lemoncello!
Aloha

Hi princess pupule,

I got your PM and responded. Thanks again for the tip.

Traveling in June was not my idea. My German cousin had twins in November and my uncle, who lives in Kansas, is planning to go visit and meet his new grandchildren. He asked me if I would consider going too. He didn't have to ask twice. He hates to fly and I was amazed when he said that I didn't need to go to Kansas City in order to be on the flights with him. That gave me the freedom to take some some time for myself. I needed to use miles, and since June isn't too far off, flights using the minimum amount of miles were limited. I couldn't find an acceptable flight home from Germany when I need to travel, so I'm flying home from CDG. Okay, if everyone promises not to tell I will confess that when I saw there wasn't a flight home from Hannover that would take less than about 35 hours I immediately decided to check CDG. I've been wanting to have a little time to myself in Paris. On our last trip I mentioned to my husband that I would like to go off on my own for an afternoon. It didn't happen. I wasn't sure if he didn't want me to be alone, or if he didn't want to be alone. Now I have the answer, because he's fine with me spending a week there by myself. I will be able to do all the things I've been wanting to do but didn't because I thought he wouldn't be interested. This will be my 6th trip to Paris.

These 2 flats are in great areas and are registered. Not sure if your dates would work but they have some June dates available.
HomeAway 674409a
HomeAway 1212488vb

Oh, Andrea!
That sounds like so much fun! Enjoy the planning even though it's so short. I completely understand how you arrived at leaving out of CDG--it sounds just like something I would do.

Darcy, wouldn't it be amazing if we could meet up in Paris again? Bring Pam! :-)

Thanks for sharing jj ashley. The first apartment allows smoking, and I don't deal well with the smell. Interestingly I only found the listing on the U.K. Homeaway site. I had actually not considered looking there for apartments. Have you stayed at the second apartment? There weren't any reviews.

HI Andrea
No we have not stayed there. We usually stay in Montmartre. The flat we are staying in in May is fully booked for June.

Andrea, I've been lurking on this thread and thinking how much fun it would be if I/we could meet you in Paris! I know you will have a wonderful time on your own!

Andrea! This is such great news for you!
Even though I've only been home for 3 weeks -- I so want to go again! (But probably not before October.)
I'm definitely planning on the Sacramento meeting so I'll see you and talk with you there, if not sooner!

Pam, having lunch with you and Darcy in Paris was...unforgettable! And fun! ;-). Seeing Darcy in Venice and Siena was nice too.

SharYn, I hope you can make it to our April meeting. FYI I am planning to come to your meeting in April. I checked out the apartments where you and Betty stayed in Paris. Sadly they are all booked for my time. They will definitely be a consideration for next time. Jim is hopefully going to retire at the end of the year and planning trips will become much easier. When I arrive in Germany I'm going to spend a few days with Ms. Jo, then on to Hannover to help with the babies. I'm looking forward to spending time with the family, but I will need my time in Paris to unwind after that!

Hi Andrea,
I'm so excited for you, particularly your plan to wander the streets of Paris and do whatever you want. Looking forward to discussing your plans at the April meeting!
See you soon.

Thanks BG! I'm looking forward to hearing all about your trip!

An update about Cobblestone Paris. Since I pressed about the registration number I have not heard back from them. I guess it's clear what that means.

I'm not sure that those flats are registered legally, since there is a "a and vb" that fills up the spaces.
I would look elsewhere for a legally registered apartment, since this looks made up.

I gave up on hearing back from Cobblestone and have made other arrangements. Thank you for your help everyone.

Hey andrea
Sweet dreams are now in your favor. If you don’t mind where are you staying. Im
Excited things are falling in place. Please have a glass of vino somewhere for me
Aloha