Job Discussion Forums

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

I'm a newbie, but from what I've read it's hard to find someone who will rent you an apartment in Paris unless you have three times the rent each month. If teaching English in Paris pays as poorly as everyone says, how do you pull that off without being independently wealthy?

It seems one solution, at least for the new arrival, would be to share an apartment with someone already there. Has anyone tried this route? Is there a good way to find roomies that are reliable? If push comes to shove I have a friend who lives there; maybe his friends know somebody who'd need a room-mate, but I just want to see what experiences the rest of you have had.

Perpetual Traveller · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 651 Location: In the Kak, Japan

Most of my friends living in Paris wouldn't have room for a room-mate, even if they wanted one. Most common set-up is studio style or one bedroom. Having said that it is possible, here's a couple of websites to look at in order to get an idea what's out there:

http://www.clickflatshare.co.uk/Paris/

http://www.easyexpat.com/viewads_O_A_1_pa_en.htm

PT

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

Well, if I had my druthers, I'd rather have a place to myself. But I would rather have a roomie than miss out on Paris.

I was just thinking that if, as some say, I need an income of at least, if not more, than three times the rent every month before anyone will rent a place to me, maybe I need to share a plce with someone else first who is established.

If I'm not taking all my stuff (and there is a heck of a lot of it) I can get by on less space. If you subtracted all the space I use in my apartment in America for storage then the total amount of space I have left is probably pretty small.

fancynan · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:29 pm Post subject:

I am planning to go to France to do a TEFL course and plan to stay in Paris for a while and at least try to work and live there. I definitely want to go the roommate route for a variety of reasons: I can spend the same amount of money and share liveable space, I will not have to outfit a kitchen or furnish an apartment, I will be able to improve my French, I will not have to supply the mountain of paperwork required by French landlords, most "colocation" (co-renter) situations require the rent and a deposit, not 3 months worth of rent. To get an idea of what is available go to www.google.fr, which is the french google site. Search for colocation. The results will be in French, so if you cannot read French, you will have difficulty. Nevertheless, you can see what costs are like.

Last year I was in Paris and was talking to an American who had lived there for 14 years. As we discussed different ways that I could live and work in Paris, he said that if you really WANT to do it, you will find a way to make it happen. And doesn't that really apply to most things in life? I hope you are pursuing other research avenues than just this message board. There is much to consider and plenty of good advice, but it is, after all, only one tool.

jsbankston · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Texas

Actually, at this point, the message board is all I have been looking into.

My mom is trying to talk me out of it. My expatriate friend in Paris says to go for it, and sent me a link to an article that most people on this board would find overly optimistic, with links to the notorious chain language schools.

I have a friend who taught in Japan for two years. I can't seem to get him to respond to e-mails.

I've not had a chance to look for any books on the subject, as I've been house-bound, carig for my ill dog.

Do you know off the top of your head of any other TEFL resources that I really ought to know about?

I would love to figure out how to stay in Paris for the long-term, without worrying from year to year if I can still stay.

fancynan · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:53 pm Post subject:

Google search is my friend! Very Happy

Repeat it! Use the technology you have at your disposal. Search for TEFL, CELTA, TESOL, teaching English, teaching English in Paris, etc. Click on any of the ads and see where it will take you. Then bookmark the places you want to come back to read in more depth. Here are a few to get you started:

http://www.tesol-france.org/faqs.html
http://www.tefldaddy.com/
http://www.angloinfo.com/
http://www.english-international.com/

Good luck!

The_Prodiigy · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 252

Google it and adverts put on local lamp-posts.

katers · Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 31

www.colocation.fr is a useful site for finding (fairly cheap) flatshares

riverboat · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 117 Location: Paris, France

It's definitely possible to find rooms in shared apartments for reasonable prices, where you don't need tons of paperwork/money etc. It's just hard, and there are inevitably tons of people after these rooms. This week, I went to view two rooms in different shared apartments in Paris, both costing around 580 euros per month. Both rooms were perfectly fine, but the trouble is I was just one of many people after them...the owners of the apartment both times told me that up to 75 people had emailed/phoned in their interest in the room within 6 hours of the advert being put on the internet, from whom they had invited between 10-20 to come for a viewing/interview...after that its just a personality lottery...

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

whats this about paperwork and proof of funds for an apartment? The sites i've been looking at just need me to pay security deposit (2 months rent, refundable), an agency fee ( about one months rent) and then first months rent ahead of time, or at least upon taking possession....do i need further proof of wealth? Like, i cant provide proof of funds til i get a job, cant get a job til i set some roots etc etc

Hot2GlobeTrot · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 82 Location: Calgary, Canada

BTW, i'll have my EU citizenship by then, if it makes a difference...

riverboat · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 117 Location: Paris, France

Some landlords/agencies ask for: copies of bank statements, copies of job contracts, references, and guarantors (meaning that you have to provide the names, addresses and in some case financial details of two other people who will guarantee to pay your rent for you if you default. Most people seem to generally nominate their parents). In some cases it is specified that the guarantors must be within France.

Other landlords ask for nothing except that you pay the rent in cash in advance every month.

Most ask for something inbetween....and then you find yourself in the Catch 22 situation of not being able to get an appartment until you have a bank account, but not being able to get a bank account until you have an appartment...oh the joys of French bureaucracy!