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Anger at €945,000 price tag for 30 square metre Paris studio

A Paris studio apartment just 30 square metres has been put up for sale for close to €1 million, in the latest example of the capital's out-of-control property prices.

Published: 21 February 2020 09:00 CET
Anger at €945,000 price tag for 30 square metre Paris studio
The apartment has a view of the Eiffel Tower. Photo: AFP

The Paris property market is well known for being one of the priciest in the world, with the average price per square metre now over €10,000.

The combination of limited space, limited housing and very high demand has pushed prices in the French capital sky high, with prices rising by 62.5 percent over the past 10 years.

But even within this context, the advert for a 30 square metre studio apartment for €945,000 – or €30,000 per square metre – sparked derision and anger.

READ ALSO Almost half of all property rental adverts in Paris are illegal

The apartment, which sits in a prime location in the 7th arrondissement on the Champs de Mars, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, was first advertised on popular selling site Leboncoin.

Pictures showed a one-room apartment with a bookcase used to separate the bed from the living space, up for sale for €945,000.

However the advert has now been removed after the seller says he was deluged with insults and hate mail.

Philippe Lederman, the owner of the Saint Ferdinand Immobilier real estate agency which had advertised the apartment, told French newspaper Le Parisien that he had been shocked by the reaction.

He said: “I've been getting insults, hate mail, people saying to me: 'Aren't you ashamed to sell at that price?”

He said that the price had been set by the owner but added: “In this area, which is very touristy, real estate agencies mainly have foreign clients looking for a pied-à-terre with an unobstructed view of the capital's symbol, the Eiffel Tower.”

According to Meilleurs agents, who specialise in online property valuation, an average apartment in Paris is currently trading at around €10,276 euros per square metre.
 
But in some areas prices are much higher – with properties in Odéon, Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the Champs-Elysées going for €15,000 per square metre. 
 
The most expensive street in Paris is currently listed as Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement, where apartments sell for more than €22,500 per square meter. 
 
Prices drop off sharply once you venture outside the Paris ringroad to the suburbs.
 
 
 

 

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PROPERTY

Tenants in France: How to make your home more energy efficient

Insulation, ventilation, heating - given the cost-of-living crisis that’s affecting France as much as many other countries, it’s understandable that there is a lot of talk right now about improving energy efficiency in homes.

Published: 10 August 2022 13:20 CEST
Tenants in France: How to make your home more energy efficient

In France many people rent and although you would hope that your landlord would do improvements like this, if they are unable or unwilling than you have the right to do these works yourself.

It means the work is at your own expense, but if you’re a long-term tenant you may make the money back in savings on your energy bills.

Here’s how to go about it:

Inform your landlord

The first thing to do is inform your landlord you intend to carry out the work, at your expense. Do this by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. 

The letter must describe the transformations envisaged, the conditions under which these works will be carried out, and the name of the company undertaking the work.

If you have not received a written response in two months, you can assume you have the tacit agreement of your landlord to carry out the work.

Work you can carry out

A decree published in France’s Journal Officiel on July 21st defines the list of works a tenant can carry out at their own expense on the property they rent.

  • insulation of lower floors;
  • Attic and upper floor insulation;
  • replacement of exterior joinery;
  • solar protection of glazed or opaque walls;
  • installation or replacement of ventilation systems;
  • installation or replacement of heating and domestic hot water production systems and associated interfaces.

The work cannot affect communal areas of a shared property, and must “respect the expected energy performance”. 

Work cannot affect the building structure, its external appearance, require a permit, or change the purpose of the building.

What happens afterwards

Within two months after the completion of the work, the tenant must inform the landlord that the work has been carried out by the chosen company and that it corresponds to what was announced in the pre-work letter.

Other work tenants can undertake on a property they rent

In 1989, a law was passed that allowed tenants to undertake certain work on a property – painting and decorating, adding or changing floor covering – without the permission of the landlord and at their own expense.

Any other works require the written agreement of the landlord – otherwise the tenant may be obliged to return the property to its original condition. 

The landlord can also keep the benefit of the work done without the tenant being able to claim compensation for the costs incurred.

Landlord’s responsibilities

Landlords must provide decent housing, which implies, in particular, heating in good working order, and compliance with a minimum energy performance criterion. Under current rules, doors, windows and walls must be airtight. 

A tenant can only require work from his landlord on these elements, if they are deficient.

From January 1st, 2023, properties advertised for rent in France must have a Diagnostic de performance énergétique rating of G or better.

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