Mi casa es tu casa

- My house is your house -

When Hubby and I moved to London we had to rent out our apartment in Paris. We'd found a really nice couple who were expecting a baby at the time and wanted to move into something bigger than their one-bedroom apartment. After some of the horror stories we'd heard about on online forums, we thought we'd hit the jackpot with this couple, nice and always paying their rent on time. But helas, it was not to be. A few weeks ago they sent us their notice explaining they were now looking to buy something with a garden (ahhhh... family life !) and would be moving out beginning August.

So here we are again, looking for a new tenant for our little chez nous in Paris. Last time, I had to deal with everything alone since Hubby was already living in London, so we placed an add in the paper and not knowing what kind of response we would get we put in my phone number for inquiries. I got 400 calls on the first day. I had to turn off my phone the next three. The 15 appointments I managed to book to show the place were given to the 15 lucky callers who were able to reach me when I could turn my phone back on in between work and meetings. It was insane. As it was physically impossible for me to personally reply to that amount of phone calls (not to mention the 100 something voice mails left as a result of not being able to reach me) I was left with a sad feeling for the people that weren't able to contact me. I know first hand how horrible and frustrating it is trying to find housing in Paris.

This time around we again placed an add in the paper but only provided an anonymous email address as contact details and the response has been much more manageable. We've gotten 80 emails so far and thanks to Gmail we can categorize inquiries based on potential, reply with automatic messages asking for more information, detect duplicate inquiries and trash false emails (fake inquiries or email addresses or agencies simply posing as potential tenants..).

Better yet, this time around I can make sure everyone will get a reply from us one way or another.

I've spent the evening reading each and every email we've received and I admit that it's quite mind boggling the lengths people have to through to rent a place in Paris. As an almost general rule most send us their income details straight away, without even having seen the place. Some offer to scan and send us copy of their payslips, others do it anyway. Some send us the income their parents make as collateral to rent and others go ahead and send us their employment contracts or tax returns or stock portfolio as proof of their healthy finances.

But then there are those that go even further. The ones that tell us their story. Open their life to us and tell us why they want our place.

Like the young couple, him from a city in the south of France, she from Germany who are looking to at last be able to live together in Paris after 2 years of a long distance relationship. They are hoping Paris will be the start not only of their life together but of their careers and life as adults.

Or the divorced journalist who wishes to move in with his freshman son. He's looking for a quiet place because his son studies some sort of extremely difficult degree and needs a place that will let him concentrate and focus on his studies. His ex-wife is willing to contribute to the rent.

The three best friends that have known each other since kindergarten and are planning on moving to Paris to study fashion and make it in the big city. The have no intention to party as they are planning on focusing exclusively in their studies and becoming the next Karl Lagerfield.

The widow with her teenager son who works for city hall and owns three flats in Paris from which she'll have enough income to pay for rent. Her son is getting ready to graduate from high school and is thinking about studying medicine.

The lady that timidly asks if she can please visit the apartment on a different day from Saturday as she is an orthodox Jew and will not go out of her home during the Sabbath.

The writer who sends us paragraph after paragraph about his life as a writer and screenwriter in Paris. He specializes in nature and our apartment being a few streets from one of Paris most emblematic parks is a match made in heaven for him.

The lady from Australia who has retired and is moving to France to learn French and spend her free time on her passion in life: fine wine tasting.

I sit here and read mail after mail, story after story, and try to imagine who will end up eventually moving into our little home. We will only be able to meet a fraction of these people as unfortunately Hubby and I can only go to Paris one weekend to show the apartment.

However, I will reply to each and every one of those emails and hope that whoever does end up moving in, not only takes good care of our little chez nous and pays their rent on time, I hope that above all our place will be part of their dreams and hopes and expectations coming true.

Photo: "Home" by Fned.

Fned.