Websites for apartment rentals

I use vrbo.com and homeaway.com. They have rentals all over the world. In both cases you are renting directly from the owners. There is no fee required to use these sites.

I used Airbnb in Vancouver BC, worked out well. There wasn't a membership fee, they take a percentage based on how much the place rents for. You can browse the properties for free and if you find one you desire you go through Airbng site they forward your info to the owner then from that point on you contact the owner directly if you rent from them. You can rent an entire home or just a room, whatever works best. Airbnb works as the middle man they handle the payment, so you don't have to send the money directly to the host, I've read posts on this site where people had a difficult time getting the payment directly to the host or the host wanted cash upon arrival and even before. Whatever you do don't use Craigslist for renting a place, there is no security or verification if the person placing the ad for an apartment for rent is legit. More than 1 person has been conned this way.

For Paris, I use myparisvisit.com. Nice apartments and reasonable prices. Also,
vrbo.com I have had a lot of success with. Happy Travels!!

About 12 years ago we used a small Paris-only company to rent an apartment. I can't be sure of which site it was, but it might have been one of these 3 that I Bookmarked over the years: http://www.locaflat.com/aptlist.html http://www.franceforrent.com/
http://www.france-apartment.com/ Otherwise In France, we've rented houses and apartment for about 25 years from Gites de France (www.gites-de-france.com).

For Paris: vacationinparis.com and parisbestlodge.com

I've used Parisbestlodge for Paris and was very happy with apartment and service, loved the fact I didn't have to prepay, and that my deposit check was taken in Canadian funds( you could do American) and its ripped up when you arrive!
The owner /manangers Thierry and Eric was so nice to work with, speak perfect english. We were met at apartment, shown how to use things( washer and dryer) and given directions to nearest stores etc . I found out about PBL through another forum I go on, it was always highly reviewed by other posters and now I know why!

tripadvisor, VRBO and booking.com (they're mostly hotels but if you look on the left hand side you'll find an option for apartments and some of them are quite reasonable)

VRBO/Homeaway, Airbnb, and Paris Attitude are three prominent apartment sites that do not fit your requirements, as they serve primarily as middlemen between owners and renters, supplying information rather than providing management. However, there are lots that come closer to what you want. Not many, in my experience, charge a membership fee. A simple search on Google or Yahoo will turn up the names; you have to sort them out for yourself. To get going, here is a list of links that appeared 10 months ago in a Fodor forum. I cannot vouch for any of them (nor would Fodor) but it's useful to start your research. www.guestapartment.com www.haveninparis.com www.parisaddress.com www.parisperfect.com www.parisbestlodge.com www.parisflat.com www.vacationinparis.com www.lodgis.com www.parisvacationapartments.com www.cobblestay.com www.rentals-paris.com www.parisattitude.com www.desigparis.com www.homeaway.com www.paris-be-a-part-of-it.com www.rentalapartmentparis.com www.parisabcd.com www.perfectplaces.com www.book-a-flat.com www.apartofparis.com www.parisstay.com www.parisreference.com www.localflat.com www.welcome2france.com www.parissweethome.com www.homelidays.co.uk www.parisdeluxerentals.com www.rentparis.com
www.parisambiance.com

Southam, you can't vouch for any of the sites you posted yet you discount the use of the VRBO/Homeaway, Airbnb, and Paris Attitude. By stating "I cannot vouch for any of them" serves a less useful purpose, that is at least the ones you stated didn't fit her requirements were used by people on this board and they recommend them. Having a middleman can serve as a safety net for any problems that may arise. Airbnb will remove bad apartments and there are plenty of reviews, exactly what the OP was looking for. By listing a bunch of sites and discounting others your post comes across as spam.

I was satisfied with my one VRBO experience and do not disparage their service. But it is worth knowing that the amount of in-person service at the apartment itself can vary from owner to owner, so it is sensible to check in advance if that matters to you. Apartments represented by managers often and maybe always send a service agent to open the door for you and subsequently deal with problems, although reliability can be as unpredictable as anything else in travel. Take your pick; I've done it both ways and make no recommendation.

Thanks to all! I've got what sounds like a GREAT apartment, right on the Rue Cler for our April trip! Haven't decided on the other cities yet, but VRBO.com seemed to be good for all!