I posted on another thread the saga of my son making it to Rome and then on to Paris from Dubai in the last few days. It's been a struggle and a journey. The company he works for has an office in Paris, and he is looking to find an apartment or place to stay for 2 weeks to a month or so. Where do you suggest we begin? Agencies, Realtors? Today he told me he was looking on AirBnb but after reading all the experiences here on legal rentals, I am skeptical, as well as issues of fake listings on booking.com. Not sure where to begin, and he is just looking for a small place to work and sleep. Any help in direction would be most appreciated.
Posted by
1555 posts
Guest Apartment Services gets high ratings here. We stayed in one of their apartments (Tulip) in September and have rented another for June (White Arum which has built-in AC). They are very nice and centrally located. They also have concierge services.
https://www.guestapartment.com.
So glad for all of you for his safe exit.
Posted by
OP
Gulf Coast, usa
1282 posts
Thanks Lindy. These are probably out of budget and too fancy lol. He's looking for something a bit smaller and affordable if that is possible.
Posted by
1555 posts
Got it! In which arrondissement is his work? Do you have an idea of his budget?
Posted by
OP
Gulf Coast, usa
1282 posts
I am thinking La Defense area is where the office is. Working on budgets now. Think refugee for a month or longer having to leave Dubai lol. If it's too expensive he may have to come back to States. Looking to possibly rent by owner or something like that. Any experiences here with VRBO?
Posted by
Chicagoland
2050 posts
JR, maybe the Citadines.
Is he in Paris now? I would consider an Airbnb IF I could meet the owner and see the apartment to know what I'm getting.
Here are a couple others to try
Posted by
Chicago
2247 posts
AirBnB would have to be legal. Many are not. Honestly can he ask the company if they know of any short term accommodations. I know my company has a list of where consultants and others can stay when they come into town on business.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
3199 posts
Have you looked at apartment hotels there’s a Citadines near where you’re looking and they often have long-term deals. I would see a minimum what they’re offering.
Now you may have to call them or go see them to see what they’ve got for long-term because it’s not always easy to get that kind of information on their website
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11679 posts
Lodgis and Morning Croissant but there’s a minimum legal time—perhaps 3 months? He has to check.
Posted by
302 posts
Lo0k for an AirBnB rental in Neuilly (adjacent to LA Defense) It is a separate city and is not governed by the same rules as Paris re short term rentals.
Posted by
Sydney, Australia
283 posts
I have used VRBO in the past in UK with a lot of success. However, I have since heard that it is subject to hoax properties and that you can't tell the difference between a fake and real listing. I guess this could be any of those websites, including Air BnB. So all this is caveat emptor.
There are real estate websites like https://www.seloger.com but I would think they would be less helpful for people who only want a short term rental. Myself, I would look at a studio in Citadines or similar in Adagio as they can do short rentals or will come up with a price for longer term. I have stayed in Citadines upwards of 10 times in other cities, and also Adagio just two times. Adagio is a little cheaper, and if you have Accor membership you can get a better price or an upgrade (not the paid membership but the freebie, I think it's called ALL). Not sure if you have French but those real estate websites (and the owners) might not do English.
Lavandula
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
I agree with adodd about looking just beyond Paris. We stayed outside of Paris on the border of Courbevoie and La Garenne-Colombe, a short distance from La Defense. Once you walk away from the monumental architecture of La Defense, it's a lovely area. La Defense is right at the end of metro line 1 and is also a stop on RER A, so getting around is easy. For what it's worth, we found our apartment through Booking.com. We've also used VacationInParis.com several times and have been very happy with them. They actually know the apartments they represent and have steered us in the right direction each time.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
236 posts
Another vote for looking outside of Paris! My dad always books an AirBnB in Levallois-Perret (in fact, he is there now), just outside the Paris city limits but still on the metro line. It's a wonderful middle-class neighborhood - where I say I'd live if I were able to move to Paris!
Posted by
302 posts
the good thing about Neuilly is it has two stops for metro line 1, which goes directly to la Defense, so it would be an easy commute. Neuilly is a very pretty suburb with plenty of restaurants, boulangeries, etc. It is very safe and clean, if that is a consideration. We got a short term AirBnB rental last year and did not find that it was any more expensive than a comparable rental in Paris proper. but if your son wants nightlife and the feeling that he is in the middle of things, perhaps somewhere in Paris would be preferable.