Long-term apartment rental in Paris?

As an expat in France I would highly recommend Intransit International.

http://www.intransit-international.com

There are many considerations to take into account with locating an apartment - in particular unfurnished can mean no kitchen (even cabinets). Additionally, contracts can be tricky - the entire process is different here. Intransit can help with location a property (they will do a market search) set up a bank account, negotiate and present your dossier (yes you have to prove to a landlord that they should rent to you) and also complete a walk through of the apartment, set up utilities etc.

I'd also peruse paris.craiglist.org to get an idea of the prices. Paris is definitely one of the more expensive cities in the world, so "reasonably priced" is more or less nonexistent, unless you're going by New York standards.

I don't know what the situation is like in France, but in Germany, it's very common for people 20-40 years old or so to live together in a "WG" (shared apartment), even here in a cheap city like Berlin. It shifts the responsibility for dealing with things like utilities to someone else, it's much less expensive, you can usually bypass agents thanks to the internet, and ideally it sets you up with a few local friends who can help you adjust. And for me, it's been quite a lot of fun. Just something to think about.

Hi Lisa,
Vacation-In-Paris is an American company with its headquarters here in the USA. It certainly would do no harm to contact them [toll-free number] and discuss long-term apartment rentals. They may know of something - though it may not be a property they manage.
At the bottom of their web site, find and click on "contact". The 1-800 number is there. Here's the site....
.... www.vacationinparis.com

Good Luck,
P.

Thanks very much for the suggestions! I will pass them along to my friend.

You don't mention what "reasonable" is or if she has permission to be in the country for a long stay.
This all affects where to look for rentals. Even native Parisians have a hard time finding good rentals.

Ground floor is rare as are elevators. Unfurnished usually means no fridge or sink or oven. Furnished often means roll out bed and hot plate. But all sorts of levels exist.

It isn't economical to rent a vaction apt. for long term. You can get a decent studio for 1300-2000 a month or a 1-2 bedroom for 1500-3000 or more of course.

To rent from a company or agency you will need a long stay visa and proof of funds (a lot!) or a job (not just a carte de sej.)

I would say your best bet is to try FUSAC and look in the small anouncements. Look for individuals who are renting their places. Also unles you are individually wealthy, put your romantic ideals on hold. I assume she has been to Paris before and has some idea how the country and real estate works?