Frequently asked questions
- Are the rental prices of your Paris apartments all-inclusive?
- Once we've booked one of your Paris apartments, how to we get keys?
- Do you have your own staff in Paris to clean your apartments and to meet us?
- Are your Paris apartments air conditioned?
- What is your minimum length of stay in your Paris vacation apartments?
- Are your Paris vacation rentals from Saturday to Saturday?
- Are there good restaurants, cafés and shops near your Paris apartments?
- What are your cancellation terms?
- Is the neighborhood around your Paris rental apartments safe?
- Are your Paris apartments located near good local transport; how close are we to landmarks and monuments??
- What makes your Paris vacation apartments so great?
- We have read a lot of descriptions on other sites about apartments in Paris that are located on the ‘quiet inner courtyard' of a building. Why aren't yours?
- Are your Paris vacation apartments noisy?
- How do you help us to enjoy our stay in Paris?
- If we rent a Paris apartment from you, how do we know you're for real?
- Can we contact previous recent guests of your Paris apartments for references?
- What happens if there is a maintenance problem in our Paris vacation rental apartment, a broken appliance, etc.?
- Any particular advice on renting apartments in Paris?
- We have young children; can you provide a crib for our baby and recommend a reputable baby sitting service?
- Are your Paris apartment rentals fully equipped, or do we need to bring anything?
- Are the pictures of your Paris apartments and views accurate representations of what we will be renting?
- How far ahead should we book our Paris vacation rental apartment?
- Do you allow smoking?
- May we bring a small pet?
- How do we book one of your Paris vacation rental apartments?
- What if we have a very early or very late arrival?
- Did we forget to answer something?
Are the rental prices of your Paris apartments all-inclusive?
The rental price includes taxes, heating, gas, water, sheets and towels, basic household supplies and normal electricity usage. Household supplies include a small supply of coffee, toilet paper, paper towels and soap, coffee and household cleansers to get you through the first days. Most of our apartments have free calling to all European landlines, as well as to many countries throughout the world. However, calls to cell phones are charged (except those to Canada and the United States ). Should you need to make calls to countries that are not covered, or to cell phones that are not covered, we suggest you purchase a phone card in Paris for your use.
Normal utility usage is included. Most of our apartments have air conditioning and all have heating. In both cases, guests control the thermostat. You may incur charges for heat and air conditioning should your usage significantly exceed normal usage. We kindly ask our guests to switch off the air conditioning or lower the heat when they are out of the apartment for several hours because electricity prices in France are very high. In a few cases, guests have left windows open while the air conditioning or heating were running, which led to extremely high utility bills. As a result of these rare exceptions, we take a reading of the electric meter when you arrive and after you depart to track utility usage and to protect ourselves. We have never taken advantage of a guest in terms of extra charges but if guests abuse the system, we will need to charge them for it.
Once we've booked one of your Paris apartments, how to we get keys?
Easy: when you rent one of our Paris apartments, one of our friendly team will meet you at your apartment and will personally welcome you. Everyone speaks fluent English and will help in every way they can: from explaining how to use all of the appliances to shopping and restaurant ideas in the neighborhood and fun things to do in Paris. Importantly, our manager is available 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have. Compared to many rental companies in Paris, we are unique because we have our own management team in Paris. It costs us more to have our own people on the ground to meet you, but it makes all the difference to your stay.
Some people ask why we don't send keys in advance. We studied the idea, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded when we read the fine print. Keys cannot be sent for all apartments and if you do receive keys, you must mail them back on your return by physically going to the post office and insuring them; you can't simply drop them in a mailbox. If the keys are lost, you will be charged almost $200 to replace them.
We think our system is better: be greeted by our helpful team when you arrive, get a full briefing on how the apartment works, ask as many questions as you like and simply ask you to leave the keys in the apartment when you leave and our management will pick them up when they do the checkout.
Do you have your own staff in Paris to clean your apartments and to meet us?
Yes we employ our own staff of cleaners and greeters; this is a key difference between ourselves and most rental companies in Paris who use outside contractors. Having clean and well maintained apartments are a top priority for us because we want you to arrive to a sparkling clean apartment. Many rental agencies operate virtually from offices outside of France. They either rely on the owner to handle the cleaning and maintenance or contract with outside cleaning services to do so. Unfortunately owners do not have standards that are consistent with ours and the cleaning contractor's incentive is to finish the job and move on the next one as quickly as possible. We have fully staffed offices in Paris because there is no replacement for your own good people and a ‘head of housekeeping' who can check that everything is in place and spotless before a guest arrives. We also stock an inventory of fresh bedspreads, blankets and cushion covers so that they are changed regularly, a small but important difference. If there is something that we have missed, we have people nearby who can come over as quickly as possibly to rectify it.
Labor is costly in France and this is our largest investment, but for our guests, it is 100% worth it! The difference shows, because our guests who have stayed elsewhere frequently compliment us on how much nicer our apartments are and come back time and again.
We don't stop there – we employ our own team of people in Paris who meet you at the apartment when you arrive to explain how to operate appliances and answer any questions you might have. And we also have a team of plumbers, electricians, and carpenters who have worked with us for the past decade and who respond quickly if needed. Since we own or exclusively manage our apartments, we do not need to ''try to contact the owner and wait for approval'' for something to be repaired!
Are your Paris apartments air conditioned?
Yes, the majority of our apartments now have the benefit of air conditioning! This is a rare feature in Paris, where most apartments and even some hotels do not offer it. For more details about specific apartments please don't hesitate to ask.
What is your minimum length of stay in your Paris vacation apartments?
Our minimum stay is for seven nights. For extra nights beyond the first week, we simply charge the pro rata nightly rental rate.
Stays of less than one week: We only accept bookings for fewer nights if we are close to your travel dates and if there is a gap of a few nights between renters.
Are your Paris vacation rentals from Saturday to Saturday?
No, you may arrive any day of the week as long as we have availability and you schedule to depart a week or more later. We think this allows you to get the best travel fares.
What about the neighborhood: Are there good restaurants, cafés and shops near your Paris apartments?
Yes, absolutely. The nice thing about Paris is that you can find good restaurants everywhere, but the neighborhoods we have chosen are special. They have retained their village atmosphere and remained truly Parisian, so we can recommend numerous bistros and restaurants that the locals go to for reasonable prices. When you reserve, we send you a very long list of our favorites along with local anecdotes about the owners and the restaurant reputations. Our guests love reading it and tell us they need to come back to get through them all. Please don't hesitate to recommend your favorite Parisian restaurants after you leave as we like to keep our list current with the best ideas for meals, food, and wine for your next stay!
The neighborhoods we have chosen are one of the best reasons you should stay with us! If you are investing in a vacation in Paris, we want you to enjoy walking to the major sites, museums, and shopping of this incredible city. Our apartment rentals are absolutely in the heart of Paris. They are close to the romantic Seine River, to major monuments, and are surrounded by restaurants, cafés, and shops. We especially love the neighborhoods because they have retained their unique village feel; you will love being able to shop at one of four open markets in the neighborhood –within a few minutes walk from your apartment. You will get to know our local butcher, greengrocer, baker, and pharmacist – all part of the experience of living in Paris.
Food Shopping
There are several small supermarkets nearby as well as small, family-run stores where you can purchase food or other household items every day of the week. We list them all in our information pack which you receive when you reserve. Additionally there are four famous open air markets located in or near the apartments, more than any other arrondissement in Paris. We give you all of the details so you can visit and shop there as all of the Parisians do. Our guests tell us that shopping at the local markets was a highlight of their stay in Paris.
What are your cancellation terms?
Please see our page called Prices and Conditions for full cancellation terms, but they are similar to other companies. We strongly recommend that you look into Travel Insurance in case you need to cancel and we recommend several companies on our site.
Is the neighborhood around your Paris rental apartments safe?
Yes! The neighborhoods surrounding our apartments are unquestionably among the safest neighborhoods in Paris so you can feel comfortable taking evening strolls after dinner. Our reason is simple: we don't believe you should arrive in Paris at your apartment rental after an all-night plane trip, only to find a shock when you step out of your taxi and worry about walking around on your own. Our apartments are located only in the safest neighborhoods in Paris.
Our Paris apartments are very safe, with digicode panels and locked inner doors. The apartment doors are steel-reinforced for extra security with pick-proof locks so you can feel secure when you stay with us. Most of our apartments have safes where you can store your valuables.
Are your Paris apartments located near good local transport; how close are we to landmarks and monuments?
Yes! Our apartments in Paris are a short walking distance to the metro and local RER lines. Being in the center of Paris means that your apartment is walking distance to many of the major monuments of Paris, or a short metro or bus wide away. Depending on the apartment it is a short walk to the Eiffel Tower to the Invalides, the romantic river Seine, the Musee d'Orsay, the Louvres and much more. You are a short walk to the local open markets, shops and of course bistros, cafés and restaurants.
What makes your Paris vacation apartments so great?
Simple: we have selected the best. These are the apartments with outward facing views located on the highest floors in the best buildings in Paris. Usually they are the most expensive to buy, but we think they are worth it. We make sure they are remodeled to the highest standards for your comfort. Apartments like these are extremely difficult to find but the views and furnishings are simply fantastic. In our opinion, you are making a major investment in coming to Paris; in many cases you're planning a trip to celebrate a special occasion and your stay should be fabulous in every way. That calls for an unforgettable view from your apartment, where you can toast your arrival with a glass of Champagne and one of the most romantic views in the world.
We have read a lot of descriptions on other sites about apartments in Paris that are located on the ‘quiet inner courtyard' of a building. Why aren't yours?
We chuckle when we hear owners turn their inner-facing apartments into advantages by talking about how quiet they are. Every Parisian knows that the apartments which face the inner courtyard – generally where the rubbish bins are usually stored – are less desirable than outward-facing ones. And no one can guarantee that your immediate neighbors or ambient noise will be quiet during your stay.
Ask yourself one question: Why look out on an anonymous inner courtyard, when you can pinch yourself with an incredible view of Paris from your living room window?
Are your Paris vacation apartments noisy?
Our apartments in Paris are located in the best areas of Paris, which implies busy neighborhoods. But without exception, we invest in the same quality soundproofing for our French doors and windows as luxury hotels use – and the apartments are incredibly quiet as a result. We think our apartments offer the best of both worlds: a fabulous view and a good night's sleep. Obviously, if you are a very light sleeper, we recommend the apartments where the bedrooms are at the back of the building, but we have never had a complaint about the noise at night from the guests who sleep in the front of the buildings.
How do you help us to enjoy our stay in Paris?
When you rent an apartment in Paris from us, our goal is for you to have a wonderful stay with us, experiencing life in an apartment as a Parisian. We provide you with a large information packet on our neighborhood and Paris and our guests love it. It includes:
- A long list of our favorite restaurants and cafés in the quartier;
- Guide to the local Parisian open markets; opening hours, etc.;
- Great web sites for information on monuments and tour ideas;
- Our favorite shops in the quartier;
- General ideas on shopping in Paris with important hints and tips on places to go;
- Ideas for families and children;
- Information on how to use the apartment including heating, internet connections, etc.;
- Local shops and stories about the neighborhood;
- Lots of guidebooks in the apartment for you to peruse during your stay.
If we rent a Paris apartment from you, how do we know you're for real?
We are fortunate to have been recommended by The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Rick Steve's and by The Fine Living Channel for two years in a row. Please see the video clip on our home page from the latest Fine Living show and read the articles on the first page of our website. In addition, we are happy to refer you to numerous previous guests in the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere who would be happy to tell you about their experiences with us. We have a Guest Book on our site with hundreds of reviews from former guests, many of whom can be contacted directly via the email address they left. We invite you to do so!
Can we contact previous recent guests of your Paris apartments for references?
Absolutely! We have installed a guest book on our site which former guests can access directly and leave comments. Most of them leave their names and email addresses so you can contact them directly.
What happens if there is a maintenance problem in our Paris vacation rental apartment, a broken appliance, etc.?
We hoped you would ask! This is our strongest point and sets us apart from most Paris rentals. The advantage you have in renting a Paris apartment from us at www.parisperfect.com is that we you are dealing directly with us, the owners or exclusive managers. And we are not a ‘virtual company'; we have a full-time team of managers, greeters, maintenance people and housekeepers physically based in Paris. As a result, we do not go through the time-consuming process of contacting an absentee owner or agency, waiting for them to obtain an estimate and permission to have the work done – we take care of it ourselves. Our philosophy is simple: if it needs fixing, get it done as quickly as possible. As a result, we are able to change small appliances and do most repairs within a few hours.
We don't stop there: our management team speaks fluent English and is trained to greet you with a smile at the apartment when you arrive and to help in any way they can. Our service has covered so many things: from finding a good doctor who makes house calls to unforgettable episodes such as finding lost children, to recommending a good chef. Our guests tell us it is one of the main reasons they come back to ParisPerfect year after year.
Any particular advice on renting apartments in Paris?
There is a wide variety of choices available to you in Paris with a wide choice of neighborhoods, standards, and furnishings - from basic to the sublime. The main differences we think you should consider are the following:
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Does the company own their apartments or manage them for someone else?
The most common rental is via an agency that represents a variety apartments belonging to different owners. They are paid on a commission basis, taking a percentage of the fee for finding the renter. The problem is that the agency must rely on the apartment owner to furnish it, maintain it to a proper standard and to greet guests. The owner frequently has a different opinion about what needs maintenance or improvement than the guests do and this can cause problems as the standards may not suit the expectations of the guests when they arrive. For this reason, we believe in owning or exclusively managing or owning selection of apartments. If you don't rent from us, we would recommend you find an apartment that is directly owned by the person who is renting it out and who is in Paris should you have a problem -- or rent from a company iwth their own apartments and management team in Paris.
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Does the agency specialize in a few Paris neighborhoods?
Many agencies represent apartments located all over Paris. From personal experience we know the time and effort it takes to clean and maintain an apartment, and the need to personally inspect each one before a new guest arrives. We think it is extremely difficult to manage apartments that are scattered throughout Paris, guaranteeing they are impeccable and in perfect working order when you arrive. As a result, all of our apartments are located in a few neighborhoods, generally within a few short blocks from each other.
Do you see the same apartment on several sites?
If you see the same apartment on several sites, it usually means that several agencies compete to rent it. While not a problem in itself, it becomes difficult for a single agency to take responsibility for cleaning and maintaining it properly -- from checking minor details such as whether the light bulbs are working to important things such as the apartment having been properly cleaned by the previous agency who rented it out. If you rent from an agency, we would advise you to check that the apartment is exclusive to them.
A good agency that manages rentals for absentee owners will warn you of some of these pitfalls, as they have encountered problems with guests who were disappointed by the standards of the apartment. Unfortunately, they can't always guarantee you will walk into a sparkling clean apartment with new furnishings and working appliances.
We took a different approach to the agency model: rather than relying on the whims of absentee owners to meet our standards, we decided to own and lease our Paris apartments, which mean we could remodel them to the highest standards for guests. Over the years, we have been contacted by other owners who have asked us to exclusively manage their beautiful apartments which we have been delighted to do if the apartment meets our standards. This way, we can make sure that the apartments have everything from new, comfortable beds and furniture, better appliances, clean apartments, large hot water tanks and loads of 100 watt light bulbs! Our standards restrict our Company's size, but it means we do the best job for our clients.
We have young children; can you provide a crib for our baby and recommend a reputable baby sitting service?
Yes, we can provide a porta-crib on request at no additional charge. Yes, we can refer a reputable baby sitting service. Please be sure to ask.
Are your Paris apartment rentals fully equipped, or do we need to bring anything?
Our apartments are completely equipped with everything from bed linens to towels, appliances, good dishes, and complete cookware; we want you to feel at home in Paris the minute you arrive. We describe each apartment in thorough detail on our site and you will see that wherever possible, we have installed large refrigerator/freezers, ovens, separate microwaves (or combination microwaves/convections ovens when space is restricted), washer/dryers, toasters, coffee makers, espresso machines, wireless DSL, US- standard DVD players (so you can bring a selection of your own movies) and even safes for your valuables.
Are the pictures of your Paris apartments and views accurate representations of what we will be renting?
Yes, absolutely. We take all of the pictures ourselves from the apartments. Despite our amateur efforts, the stunning views from the living rooms and balconies stand out for themselves. The pictures of the apartment are all recent and are re-taken regularly by us. Importantly, we constantly maintain and repaint our apartments, making improvements during the quiet months. That way, there are no unpleasant surprises when you walk in the door of your apartment.
How far ahead should we book our Paris vacation rental apartment?
It's a difficult question to answer, but the best apartments with balconies and views are booked up to a year in advance, often by returning guests. We recommend that as soon as you have your vacation dates, you contact us for availability. Sometimes we have last-minute cancellations, so please don't hesitate to contact us and ask.
Do you allow smoking?
I'm sorry but we do not allow smoking.
May we bring a small pet?
I'm sorry but we do not allow pets. Many of our guests have allergies and we try to provide an antigen-free environment.
How do we book one of your Paris vacation rental apartments?
Please email us to confirm availability and when you are ready to book, let us know. We will send you detailed instructions on next steps. We ask for 50% payment now and the remainder of the payment plus refundable security deposit 90 days before arrival. If you are arriving within 90 days, then we ask for full payment now. On receipt of deposit, we will send you loads of information to enjoy and prepare for your trip: apartment instructions, arrival information, and fun things to do in the neighborhood and in Paris. Email us.
What if we have a very early or very late arrival?
Check-in time is 3:30 and check-out time is 10:00 am the morning of your departure. However, guests often arrive early and we do all that we can to accommodate them. Just keep in mind that the previous guests may still be in the apartment and that our staff needs to be able to clean the apartment prior to turning it over to you. If you have a flight arriving extremely early in the morning, many guests rent the apartments beginning the previous day, so that they can get right in, knowing that the cleaning will already have been done.
For late arrivals, we do charge 50 Euros for arrivals after 7:00 p.m., and we do not generally have staff available for arrivals after 10:00 p.m. Since we are a small business, our staff is often up early to meet incoming guests and they work very hard for our guests, but even they must get home to their families too.
Did we forget to answer something?
Please don't hesitate to ask!
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