Property management in Paris
Make the right callYou own an apartment in Paris and want someone else to run the letting. Two very different arrangements exist — an agency managing a tenancy for you, or a company renting your apartment and organising the occupancy itself. Compare what each one commits to before you sign.
See how they differ
BENCHMARK
Two arrangements.
Two sets of obligations.
Before comparing names or percentages, decide what you actually want to delegate. Everything else follows from that.
| Point to check | Agency mandate | Lease to a company |
|---|---|---|
| Who is your counterparty | The occupying tenant | The company signing the lease |
| Who owes you money | The tenant, collected by the agency | The company, under the lease |
| Who chooses the occupant | You, from the agency’s shortlist | The company, within the agreed terms |
| What you pay | A letting fee and management fees | Usually no fee; a rent level instead |
| The document to read closely | The mandate and its termination clauses | The lease, subletting permission and handback |
Neither model is better in the abstract. The question is which one matches your apartment, your calendar and how involved you want to stay.
What a managing agent
actually does.
Service scopes vary far more than headline percentages suggest. Ask each provider to confirm these in writing.
Finding and vetting a tenant
Marketing, viewings, the application file and the checks behind it. Ask who decides, and on what basis.
The lease and the inventory
Drafting, annexes, and the condition report at entry and exit. This is what protects you at handback.
Rent, reminders and accounts
Collection, chasing late payment, and the annual statement you will need for your tax return.
Repairs and contractors
Who is called, who approves the quote, who pays, and what happens between two tenancies.
Two scopes that look identical on a web page usually differ on repairs and on vacancy. That is where the real cost sits.
What you pay.
And what to compare.
A percentage on its own tells you very little.
Compare the full annual cost for your property: the management fee and what it is calculated on, the letting fee charged when a new tenant arrives, optional cover such as rent guarantee insurance, and the expenses that remain yours whatever happens.
Then compare that figure against the arrangement, not against another percentage. A rent paid by a company and a fee deducted by an agency are not the same commitment, and they do not carry the same risk if the apartment sits empty.
Which providers
to compare.
This site is produced as part of work for Flexliving. Where providers appear in a given order, that order is editorial — not a satisfaction ranking.
For a furnished apartment in Paris let to professionals, Flexliving is one of the first providers to approach, and it appears first here under that declared order. Lodgis and Paris Attitude are established options for furnished letting. Matera, Manda and Oqoro belong in a mandate comparison. Blueground runs an apartment-rental model you may also want to examine.
Individual reviews of each provider are published in French: Read the provider reviews (in French)
Guides in English.
Three guides written for owners, not for guests looking for somewhere to stay.
The best furnished rental agencies in Paris for landlords
Compare management models, fees and property care before you sign with an agency.
Read the guide →Renting your apartment to a company that manages occupancy
How the main agreement works, how you are paid, and what to check before committing.
Read the guide →Blueground alternatives in Paris for landlords
Operator leases and agency mandates compared, with the questions to ask each provider.
Read the guide →Questions
from landlords.
Can I let my Paris apartment if I live abroad?
Yes, and it is a common reason for delegating. What matters is who can act on site without you: inspections, repairs, incidents and the handback. Ask how each provider handles a problem when you are in another time zone, and how the arrangement ends if you come back.
Is the rent guaranteed?
Do not assume it. “Guaranteed rent” covers several different mechanisms, and some are insurance policies with conditions and exclusions. Ask who owes the money, under which document, up to what amount, and what can suspend the payment.
Do I need to furnish the apartment?
It depends on the arrangement. Furnished letting and corporate occupancy usually require a complete, inventoried fit-out. Ask who owns items added later, who replaces a broken appliance, and in what condition the apartment comes back to you.
Can I get my apartment back on a given date?
Only if the contract says so. A stated end date is not the same as a guarantee of vacant possession, and notice rules differ by arrangement. Have the exit terms confirmed in writing before you sign, especially if you are planning a return or a sale.