1. Going through a rental agency
Agency fees are very pricey (usually run between 500-700 euros). This is NOT a security deposit, but a onetime fee. You need to have a complete dossier to apply for an apartment in order to be competitive. Although preparation is more tedious, this option can get you a really good rental price (usually better than some of the other options) and makes a lot of sense if you are staying in the apartment for 2 years straight. The agency fee, spread over time, often turns out to be a lot cheaper than getting ripped off by an individual renting the apartment to foreigners (like what happened to me my first year here!)
For this option, Seloger.com will have listings at great value for the space. However, it is very competitive... your dossier (see above) will be competing with Frenchies who have French guarantors.
The easiest option by far (and incredibly nice apartments) can be found at Lodgis.com but it is pretty expensive. The advantage is that they expect to rent to foreigners staying for a year or less so the dossier is much simpler. Also, you can search by your specific dates, which is a huge timesaver (don't have to spend hours scanning/calling to figure out if your dates would work).
2. Renting/Sub-letting through an individual
This option allows you to avoid agency fees. Some people, like my friend David, have a really good experience. I, on the other hand, got screwed over by my landlord. My apartment was extremely overpriced and the guy ended up keeping my security deposit. I was overpaying by about 100 euros a month compared to other places in the same area with similar features, and he kept 800 euros deposit, so it would have been the same/cheaper for me to just go through an agency and a lot less anguish. But my experience may be an exception and not the rule.
Both my friend David and I found my first apartment on Craigslist Paris.
2. Renting/Sub-letting through an individual
This option allows you to avoid agency fees. Some people, like my friend David, have a really good experience. I, on the other hand, got screwed over by my landlord. My apartment was extremely overpriced and the guy ended up keeping my security deposit. I was overpaying by about 100 euros a month compared to other places in the same area with similar features, and he kept 800 euros deposit, so it would have been the same/cheaper for me to just go through an agency and a lot less anguish. But my experience may be an exception and not the rule.
Both my friend David and I found my first apartment on Craigslist Paris.
Another great site for this type of housing is PAP.fr (particulier à particulier)
I've also heard many people find a place through Fusac.fr but they tend to be pretty pricey.
3. Finding a roommate who already has a place
This is the option I did my 2nd year to avoid paying an agency fee, to live with a French person, and to avoid getting screwed by evil landlords. =) Overall, I was really happy with the living situation. And I had a huge apartment in a really cool and expensive area that is 200 euros cheaper than my tiny crappy place from my first year.
I used Appartager.com. Its worth paying for a month long membership, otherwise its difficult to get in touch with people on the site.
4. Find university housing
You'd have to pay me a lot of money to live at Nanterre. It's ugly and far and isolated at night because there's no metro (only trains). I know a girl who found housing at Cité Université and was happy there.
5. Staying with a host family
Not sure how to go about doing this...
Neighborhoods I'd Live In:
2nd Arrondissement - I lived in the 2nd near Rue Montorgueil during my second year in Paris. If you see any ads for near metros : Etienne Marcel, Sentier, Réamur Sebastopol, its a GREAT central location.
3. Finding a roommate who already has a place
This is the option I did my 2nd year to avoid paying an agency fee, to live with a French person, and to avoid getting screwed by evil landlords. =) Overall, I was really happy with the living situation. And I had a huge apartment in a really cool and expensive area that is 200 euros cheaper than my tiny crappy place from my first year.
I used Appartager.com. Its worth paying for a month long membership, otherwise its difficult to get in touch with people on the site.
4. Find university housing
You'd have to pay me a lot of money to live at Nanterre. It's ugly and far and isolated at night because there's no metro (only trains). I know a girl who found housing at Cité Université and was happy there.
5. Staying with a host family
Not sure how to go about doing this...
Neighborhoods I'd Live In:
2nd Arrondissement - I lived in the 2nd near Rue Montorgueil during my second year in Paris. If you see any ads for near metros : Etienne Marcel, Sentier, Réamur Sebastopol, its a GREAT central location.
3rd - I would love to find a place near metros Arts&Metier or Temple. It's the Marais but also really close to Republique and Canal St Martin (see below) and at the moment is my idea of the ideal neighborhood.
4th - Le Marais - my favorite neighborhood by far. I lived near metro St Paul my third year in Paris (stumbled upon a sublet). It was ideal (Marais more so than the LQ in my opinion) but is normally very expensive (pay lot for small space). I got lucky =)
11th - Where I lived my first year. I was right at Place de la République, which is relatively convenient but very commercial. It a more mixed neighborhood ethnically and economically which adds a really cool, more real feel to the neighborhood. If you can find something near the more southern end of Canal St Martin, you tend to get more space for your money, so there tend to be a lot of students and young people. I subletted my friend's apartment next to metro Goncourt and was really happy though it can get a tiny bit shady late at night. Oberkampf is an area somewhat similar to Adams Morgan with tons of bars and cheap but decent restaurants (not jumbo slice).
15th - have some friends, a married couple, who lived there and LOVED it. they said you could get a huge place for cheap and its very safe with lots of fun things to do.
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