SETTLING IN - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 95

It is hard these days to find a decent long-term rental
apartment at a decent price. Indeed, for various reasons,
including a slight decline in unemployment, there are fewer
apartments on the market. If you see articles discussing
'average' housing prices, this means, of course, that
apartments in the less desirable quartiers cost less and
those in the trendiest neighourhoods cost more (if there
are apartments to rent in these neighourhoods at all). Visits
to view apartments are sometimes groupées , meaning that
everyone interested visits the apartment at the same time
and turns in their well-presented dossier (application, along
with financial and professional references) immediately. If
you wait to think it over, you won't get the apartment.
Given the dearth of available rental apartments, landlords
are extremely choosy. They ask that applicants for the
smaller apartments earn at least four times the rent. Most
landlords will ask that at least a year's rent be blocked in
the tenant's interest-earning bank account, held against any
transgression, such as non-payment of rent. The landlord
will no doubt also ask for a caution , perhaps a month's rent,
which may be used when the tenant leaves, in case there is
any damage or remaining bills to be paid.
As for apartments for sale, sales may have dropped, but
prices have in the past few years risen by some 14 per cent. Of
course, the amenities of each neighourhood, the resale value
of the apartment itself and convenience to the purchaser's
lifestyle must all be factored into the overall cost.
Considerations
Do not dismiss a building that seems untended on the
outside: many buildings are built around inner courtyards and
may be pleasant and quiet on the inside. Many apartments in
older buildings have also been modernised. Be sure to open
the windows to gauge the amount of noise coming from the
street, no matter how high up the apartment. Some relatively
quiet streets become extremely noisy between 6:30 pm and
8:30 pm; others may be noisy if there is a late-running bus
line or a late-night bar. Thus, do not inspect apartments in
August or on weekends, when traffic is light and all of Paris