In Part 1, I covered the state of the rental market, how to prepare your dossier, and which apps and websites to use. Here, I'm picking up where we left off: how to actually secure a visit, what happens during the visit itself, the contract, the move-in inspection, and the part everyone wants to know, how much this whole process really costs.
Securing a Visit
In a competitive market, speed is everything. Set up alerts on the apps you are using (Jinka, Le Bon Coin, Bien'ici, Gens de Confiance) and ideally have them ping you the moment a listing goes live, rather than checking once a day. This unfortunately means being on your phone from roughly 7am to 8pm.
If you are moving as a couple, split the shifts : one of you covers mornings, the other evenings. With my kids, I check first thing over breakfast, then again after work around 7–8pm, but they keep an eye on it in between, because the moment a listing appears, you need to be ready to reply.
This is where your prepared dossier and saved cover message earn their keep. Don't send a generic "I'm interested, can I visit?" Tell your story: your visa status, savings in France, regular income, maybe a property abroad, and clear interest in visiting. Include your Dossier Facile so the landlord can start reviewing straightaway (you usually can't attach documents directly at this stage). On Le Bon Coin, be selective about who you send your dossier to. On safer platforms like Jinka, Gens de Confiance or Bien'ici, sending the link upfront is a smart move, as it helps you stand out immediately as "a contender."
The real goal here is simple: secure a visit. Even if you're not 100% sure from the photos, go and see it anyway just to practice. With my kids, the rule was always to aim for the first five visitors. After that, in a competitive market like Paris, you're often wasting your time. A good dossier from an early visitor usually wins, unless you're working with an agent skilled at building rapport with landlords. Be friendly, professional, and flexible. It's a landlord's market, so you need to adapt to their schedule, not the other way round.
One quick dossier reminder: use a watermarking tool (I use filigrane) to mark your documents rental only "location uniquement" plus the town and year, and make sure your visa, guarantee confirmation, latest income tax declaration and business proof (if relevant) are all in there before you share your Dossier Facile link.
Visiting A French Flat
First impressions matter, to the landlord, but also to you. Trust your gut. If something feels off about a flat, that instinct is usually telling you something real.
A few practical tips:
- Be early. If you are worried about the language barrier, bring a friend, or consider an agent service that can liaise with the landlord on your behalf, even remotely.
- Bring a paper copy of your dossier. It shows you came prepared, and gives the landlord something tangible to review that evening, which can genuinely move you up their shortlist.
Which questions to ask the landlord:
- Ask exactly what's included in the charges fixes (fixed expenses). A common misconception is that heating is included. It usually isn't. Charges fixes typically covers water and upkeep of common areas (hallway, stairs, bins), not electricity or heating.
- Ask what the previous tenant paid for electricity or heating. Landlords don't always know, but it's worth asking for a ballpark.
- Look at the energy performance report (called DPE - Diagnostic de Performance Energetique). It's a long document not many people read, but it ranks the property from A to F for energy efficiency. D is fine, E starts to get a bit dicey, and F usually means a hefty electricity bill and a stifling summer. The report typically gives an estimated annual energy cost range (e.g. €420–€620). Useful if the landlord can't tell you themselves.
- Ask about taxe d'habitation. If you're the tenant in the property on the 1st of January, you're liable for this later in the year (bills usually arrive around October). It is roughly equivalent to a month's rent, so it's worth knowing in advance.
- Ask about the neighbourhood and why the previous tenant left. You won't always get a straight answer, but you can usually pick up a clue or two.
Beyond these questions: take plenty of photos (you'll forget details by the time you leave). Check the pipes, toilets, kitchen cupboards, open the windows, and look out for damp or mould.
Personally, especially on Le Bon Coin, I like to ask to see the landlord's taxe foncière bill on the day, just to confirm the name matches the person showing me the flat. My kids think I'm asking for too much, but given how much personal information we hand over as tenants, I think it's a fair ask. If you're going through an agency, this isn't necessary, as they will have already verified ownership.
Before you leave, state clearly if you're interested, and follow up the same day by email thanking them for the visit and reiterating your interest and readiness to move forward.
The Contract - Contrat de Bail
Once the landlord confirms they'd like to move forward with you, the first real step is signing the contrat de bail. Important: don't send any money, and don't sign your guarantee or pay your deposit, before the lease itself is signed.
The landlord should send you a draft to review. I would strongly recommend running it through DeepL, which handles contract language well. Check the expenses, the guarantee terms, the caution, and crucially the exit process, so you know exactly what's expected if you need to leave early.
Read it properly, because sometimes you'll spot things that don't add up. One flat we rented in Caen had a clause about a septic tank, for a second-floor flat. When I asked the landlord, she admitted she'd taken a contract template online and adapted it without checking everything. It happens more than you'd think, so don't assume every clause is relevant or correct.
If you are working with an agent, they'll review the contract for you. You may sign the contract in person or digitally. We used YouSign for one of our contracts rather than travelling just to sign.
Once the contract is signed, you're legally bound, and it's time to finalise your guarantee (going back to GarantMe or Smart Garant to confirm the property and pay the guarantee fee) and pay:
- One month's rent.
- La caution (deposit): two months' rent if furnished, one month if unfurnished. This covers any damage, with remaining funds returned when you move out.
- Agency fees, if applicable.
If you are working through an agency, you'll typically sign the lease at the same time as the état des lieux d'entrée (move-in inspection).
Whatever you do, read the section on how to break the contract. The préavis (notice period) you owe the landlord, and how it must be delivered. Usually by recorded post (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception) via La Poste, at a cost of roughly €6–7. This creates a legal record that you've given proper notice.
État des Lieux (Move-in Inspection)
This is your formal walk-through at move-in and it isn’t a formality to rush through, as the baseline you'll be judged against when you move out.
Take a lot of photos. It might feel slightly awkward, but you're handing over one to two months' rent as a deposit. You want solid proof of the property's condition on day one. It's perfectly polite to simply say, "Do you mind if I take a few photos, just for my own records?"
Go room by room, noting the state of everything (damaged floors, stains, damp patches) and don't hold back on writing things down. It's not rude, it's protecting yourself. I had a case in Bordeaux where the move-out inspection was handled by a different agency using 360° photo technology that flagged things the original move-in report never mentioned effectively comparing two different standards. Having my own dated photos meant I could push back and say, "No, that mark was already there."
Keep all of this (the lease, the guarantee, the photos) stored somewhere reliable (we keep folders by town, since our family has moved a few times). When moving-out day comes, you'll want to pull those original photos straight back out. This matters even more if you've rented a furnished flat and rearranged the furniture . Having the original layout on file makes it much easier to put everything back and keep the landlord comfortable.
Once you've both signed off on the état des lieux, you can give a copy to your home insurer to cancel your policy. From that date, the landlord typically has one month to return your deposit, though always check your specific contract, as it can vary.
Budget & Costs: What It Really Costs to Rent in France
Here's the bit people underestimate. It is absolutely not just "one month's rent." Here's a realistic breakdown, using a flat around €1,100/month as an example:
- First month's rent: 1,100€ (possibly pro-rated if you are moving in mid-month, on top of the following month paid upfront).
- Guarantee (GarantMe/Smart Garant): typically 4–5% of the annual rent upfront — roughly 500–600€.
- Caution (deposit): one month unfurnished, two months furnished — for an expat moving in without furniture, expect €2,200€ (two months).
- French agency fees, if used: roughly 300–800€.
- Specialist expat relocation support, if you use it (covering everything from defining your ideal property to dossier prep, visits, and contract support): typically 1,500–1,800€.
Add it up with some support along the way, and you're realistically looking at around 4,000–4,700€ all in. More or less depending on whether you use a French agency, an expat specialist, or go it alone. You will get your deposit back eventually, but this is a real chunk of money to budget for upfront as you plan your move.
Wrapping Up
You are now equipped with the full picture: what to expect from the market, how to build your dossier, where to look, how visits and contracts work, and what it's genuinely going to cost you.
I know it's a lot, but this really is your first job when you land in France. I tell my clients the same thing every time: for the first month or two, finding your long-term rental is your full-time job. Everything else follows from it : validating your visa with OFII, registering your business, setting up your health cover (which goes to your personal address, not your business one), and moving your French bank account from non-resident to resident status.
Get this first step right, and everything after it gets easier. If you need extra support, there are agents who specialise in helping expats through exactly this process.
Voilà, c'est tout pour aujourd'hui, et bon courage pour la recherche. À bientôt!
