I get asked this question a lot. I know the post I originally wrote on this subject is almost a decade old, but to be honest the Parisian rental market hasn’t changed. The only difference is I can afford to play it.

Before Covid I lived and worked in Paris for 6 years. I’ve been in so many apartments I’ve seen every kind that you can imagine. From living in them, to working in them, I’ve probably seen as many as an estate agent. It is because of my extensive Parisian real estate knowledge that I also know every kind of rental. From clandestine black market rentals, to sublets, to exchanges, to vacation lets, to proper French dossier rentals, I’ve lived through it all. It is this extensive knowledge that I share with you. 

Now that I’m legit, and financially able to afford an apartment, I thought I’d go the easy route. I’d finally throw money at the problem so to speak. I’ve spent so many years searching for that great, cheap (or at least French market value apartment), that I’m too old and weary to play that game anymore. I decided to take it easy and use a vacation rental agency. Yes, I'd have to eat the cost, but I’ve tried the cheap route so many times that paying a few month's rent worth in agency fees is worth it compared to the headache of going through it the other way. 

After browsing the rental websites and seeing how ugly most of the apartments were at 3x the market value (I am a bargain hunter at heart and that will never change), I decided to try to get even more French. I decided to finally try my luck at a Pariasian estate agency. I thought to myself, you’ve got a nice chunk of savings, you’ve got a job that pays well, why not get fancy, let’s try for a proper French rental. Enter Garantme.

One thing about the French rental market is that it requires a lot of paperwork, and despite having every single piece of paper going back to the time since you were born, none of that will get you anywhere without a guarantor (co-signer in English). At the end of the day you are a foreigner (assuming), and no amount of money is going to make them forget that. Even a French person needs a guarantor. 

I came across Garantme years ago when I was on PAP and couldn’t get any of the French agencies to call me back. They would always ask “do you have a French guarantee?” “No” *click*. Then one day a French landlord said why don’t you try Garantme? I had never heard of it, but I googled it and voila! A service that is basically your French person. Because I was destitute I could never use it before, but now that I had money they let me in. 

When you sign up you have to input your salary and your savings. You can’t lie about it because they ask for proof. If your money matches what they’re looking for, you move onto the next step, the proof process. You have to submit your pay slips, and your bank statement. Because my company isn’t in France, and pays in foreign currency, I also had to submit attestations from my company verifying I was indeed a remote worker. All of this is just uploads and easy enough to do. 

After the approval process you are given a certificate. You then have to find an apartment. You'll give the landlord your certificate in place of a guarantor. Their service isn't free, but Garantme doesn’t charge you until you sign a lease. Depending on the monthly rent the price of this annual fee changes. 

I endorse the program because as I mentioned I’m a bargain hunter, and I didn’t want to pay a fortune for an apartment I wouldn’t live in regularly. I wanted to be back in Europe so I could travel and that means being away. Not to mention my company’s nearest office is in London, so why spend a fortune on something I would basically live in part time? Renting an apartment at a true French rate gives you more apartment than at the tourist rate, obviously, and it gives you access to the full Parisian rental market, which means you have choices. 

At first I thought because of Covid the rental market would be a renter’s dream. Not so much. Only the overpriced and hideous were left over on the tourist rental sites. I even began debating going to my bank and getting a mortgage to buy an apartment. I haven't ruled it out because an apartment in Paris is never a bad idea. But never underestimate the popularity of Paris. Even during a worldwide plague it’s still an owner’s market.

If you think you can game the system, by all means have at it. But I’ve been there, done that. I have the mindset of a retiree at this point; if you have the money to do it just pay the upcharge for the finer things in life. I have refined and opulent taste, and chambre de bonnes have never been me. Sublets are a young man’s game, and after 6 years I’ve learned when to hold ‘em and when fold ‘em.