Renting An Apartment in Paris

Try Vacation in Paris as well. They are US based and you can call and speak with an actual person. They'll send you the key and instructions to your apt before you leave the US. I've rented from them twice and thoroughly recommend them.

Just don't.
There is an on-going crack-down by the Mayor's Office, and nobody is certain which neighborhoods will be targeted next, since it's a "stealth operation".

Last week, 600 apartments were scheduled to be visited by the Mayor's agents in the 1st and 2nd districts. If the owner is found to be renting illegally, the apartment must be removed from the market or he has to pay 50,000 EU.
So, it's possible that by May, your apartment may disappear.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to be able to properly investigate rental apartments. Any agency is allowed to list vacation apartments, but they will not vouch for the fact that it is a legal apartment - in most cases, it is not.

If this is your first visit to Paris, do yourself a favor and stay in either a hotel or a legal apart'hotel, where you won't have to worry.

Here are some suggestions for legal apart'hotels - and if you book through a website like www.booking.com, you can get better prices and free cancellation if you find someplace you like better. Make sure to call the hotel directly and confirm the prices before you travel:
http://www.residencehenri4paris.com/
http://leroidesicile-paris.com/eng/
http://www.citadines.com/france/paris/citadines-bastille-marais-paris/index.html
http://www.citadines.com/france/paris/citadines-les-halles-paris/index.html

You can go with the well-known companies like VIP, Paris Best Lodge, Paris Deluxe Rentals, etc. I continue to do very well with VRBO, and have now made enough contacts via the owners/landlord that I can just contact them directly. If you are going for more than 4 nights, an apartment is a must. You will not believe how small Paris hotel rooms are.

I have used Vacations in Paris twice, renting apartments in the Marais with no problems. The apartments were fine - one better than the other. We definately saved money. This year, I am renting through Air BnB for a week in April - Yes, there has been a "crackdown" on apartment rentals in Paris - the apartments are now charged, and are charging, a hotel type tax. I was able to find what looks to be a lovely apartment that will accommodate up to 4; at the end of the week, 2 people will join the 2 of us for the last few days. I admit I'm a bit nervous, but I have rented many times through Air BnB in the U.S. with mostly good or excellent results. I only rent places that have very current reviews and whose reviewers are also reviewed on the website by several different owners. I look for at least 5 excellent reviews on a site. I'll report on our experience when we return in May.

As in this May?? The good ones go fast on all the rental websites (location, price, accommodations). For a week I agree that an apartment is best. Last trip to Paris it was just hubby and I and we rented through Paris Best Lodge, had a fantasist location in the 6th walked everywhere and it checked all our boxes. Started looking in December for our May trip for 4 (just 3 nights) and could NOT find one in the area we wanted, in our price point with two separate bedrooms with actual beds (not a sofa bed, not a mattress on the floor, not two twin beds, not a board with a mattress on top) so we landed up reserving a hotel, but STILL looking for a cancellation for an apartment in our desired area. Look at AirBNB and VRBO (aka Homeaway). Research the area you want to stay, make sure it has food options and close to a metro. Then read every single review, using a translation website if needed. Look really closely at the pictures. Renting an apartment is a risk and up to you to perform all your due diligence, but when you find a great one it is such an awesome way to enjoy a city.

Just for fun I plugged my May dates in the VRBO website for a 2 bedroom in the 6th...there was ONE place available and the 2nd bedroom consisted of a small ladder you climbed up into a loft...LOL...No thank you.

I'll piggyback on what chexbres said. Even without the potential loss of your apartment via a crackdown on 'illegal' rental properties - its just safer to book a decent apartment. My wife and I booked a 2 bedroom apartment a block from Notre Dame for a week. Superb location - but we would never, ever do it again. The advertised phone to the states never worked, the shower was about the diameter of a drinking glass (slight exaggeration) and to top it off - the tenant in the apartment above us came home every night around 2:30 in the morning - walked around the wood floor apartment in what had to be steel-toed boots, and then decided to have loud sex at about 3:30 every morning. Needless to say - it was horrible.

Paris has plenty of hotels in all price ranges - I'd never stay at an apartment again.

We have rented several times from Paris Perfect, but until the while thing settles out with legality, I would avoid it. Way, way too risky.

You are taking a huge risk that the apartment will be available for occupancy when you arrive. What worked 3 years ago or even 1 year ago shouldn't be considered to work today.

There is a section on the Mairie de Paris website on legal apartments. While they aren't listed by name/owner, you might be able to infer whether an apartment you're looking at is ok it rent.

Zeeba - actually, the City of Paris Tourism website just accepts money for advertising, which helps keep this website afloat. This is typical of City tourism websites worldwide, and is apparently legal.

The City of Paris does not endorse any goods or services which pay to advertise on this website, and it does not assert that any of the agencies or apartments which are listed are legal.

There is only one website that includes legal apartments, which was part of a diagram showing the effect of illegal apartments in the city. But since it does not include the actual address of the apartment, and is only listed by the owner's name, it is virtually useless.

Many people have bought many apartments - if the person actually lives there, and only rents out a maximum of 120 days a year, and has an agreement with the building's residents to list it as a commercial property, it is probably legal - but this is not often the case. And most often, you will be the last to know. Asking someone to pay a deposit by PayPal or credit card, then the balance in cash, is a tip-off that this is an illegal rental - even if you are charged the "room tax".

To date, the Mayor's Office has only a record of 120 legal apartments, mostly in neighborhoods that are unappealing to tourists.

The legal apart'hotels I mentioned are spotless - which is not often the case with apartments rented most of the year - there is more space and "real beds", not someone's hand-me-down mattress. You will have a kitchen and laundry facilities, and will be able to contact someone if they malfunction.

The big plus will be able to drop your luggage if you arrive before your room is ready - this is the number one complaint from people who rent apartments.