Apartment Hunting in France: Everything you need to know as an American expat.

Apartment hunting in France does not have to be as daunting as it seems to be. You can tackle this beast head on by arming yourself with as much knowledge as possible. Sifting through all the information and French legal jargon can be just as overwhelming. That’s why I’ve decided to share some of my tips and tricks for battling this beast as an American expat. 

 

All the information in the following posts are from my own personal research and experiences. I am by no means a lodging and housing expert. Nor am I able to offer any sort of legal advice. I recommend seeking professionals who’ve got the credentials behind their names. I’m just someone who’s already been there, done that and want to share with you my personal experience. 

Building your dossier

What goes into your French dossier as an American Expat.

Having your dossier at the ready when it comes to apartment hunting will only help you in the long run. I’ve gathered all my tips and ticks that will help you build your dossier as an American expat and maintain it too! 

Where to start to look

An introduction to apartment hunting in France. A good place to start.

Trying to figure out where to start in the apartment hunting process can possibly be the biggest headache to date. Knowing what to looks for and where to look is always a good thing to nail down. 

Once you’ve found your apartment, you’ve submitted your dossier, now you need to do the état des lieux (property inventory) before signing the lease and getting the keys. But knowing what’s expected of you when it comes to this (and knowing the information before you sign the lease) is a wise weapon to have.