Are
the rental prices all-inclusive?
Your rental fee includes all taxes
and fees except the
cleaning fee which is collected in cash. The fee is already
included in the weekly rates quoted on the site. We also
require a pre-authorization from a credit card for the
security deposit. Your card is not charged. For longer
rentals (exceeding 3 months), other arrangements will be
made to cover utility costs.
Top
How do we reserve an apartment?
In order to block and reserve the dates, you will need
to make at least a 50% deposit payment of the rental
fee. The remainder will be due 30 days before your
arrival. We will provide you with detailed instructions
on how to submit the payments to us.
Top
What are the accepted methods of payment?
We accept various forms of payment
including, wire transfers, cash and credit card
(to the owners' PayPal accounts). Our preferred and
the most secure method of payment is by credit card
through PayPal. Payments are made directly to the individual
owners.
Top
What if I don't want
to use PayPal?
If you do not wish to use PayPal for
your rental fee, you can use one of the other forms of payment.
Top
When is the
balance of my payment due?
The balance of your rental is due
30 days before your arrival. If paying by credit card, please
use the PayPal link on the page of the apartment you booked.
If you are sending a wire transfer, please ensure that you
make the transfer so it arrives 30 days before your arrival
in Paris.
Top
Can I pay
the rental in full?
If you wish to pay your rental in full,
you may do so.
Top
How do I know that the rental
is as described
& as photographed?
99.9% of the photos on the site
were taken by us. We have tried to represent the apartment
as accurately as possible. Some rooms, like the bathroom
in certain apartments have not been photographed do to
the angles from which we are limited to taking the photos.
So rather than giving you a photo of a sink or of a shower
head, we have not included such photos. We regularly
renew the photos particularly if we have changed something
in the interior of the apartment. Please read our previous
guest comments for any of the properties by clicking
on the guest comments links on the individual apartments
page or visit the Paris travel forums on Tripadvisors,
Lonely Planet or the review of Slowtrav where some of
our previous guests have shared their experiences with
renting through us.
Top
Are the apartments
well maintained?
We regularly inspect the apartments
to ensure that they are both attractive and up to standard.
We would not rent an apartment that we would not have our
own mother stay in. Some repairs require a bit more time
than others but we will always let you know if there is a
problem ahead of time - assuming that we are aware of the
problem prior to your arrival. There will of course be cases
when we have missed something. We ask our guests to please
let us know as soon as possible should something break or
be damaged so that we can take the necessary steps to ensure
its repair.
Top
Why
don't you have more apartments available?
We preferred to keep the number of
apartments we offer to a minimum so as to ensure that we
always have a personal touch. It makes it easier for us to
go to each apartment and fix small problems or add new special
touches and to also (most of the time), have the person you
have been corresponding with be the same person you meet
when you arrive. Our intention is not to grow into a large
agency with anonymous employees but to maintain a somewhat
one-on-one relationship with our guests. We have selected
apartments that we ourselves would happily stay in. If the
apartment you inquired about is not available we will provide
you with a full list of the properties we do have available.
The number of apartments we have will always be proportionate
to the numbers of staff members at FLHP so it all remains
manageable.
Top
How are the apartments
selected?
When potential owners have contacted
us, we personally visit each apartment to assess whether
or not this property would be suitable for our guests. We
have a lot of input into what goes into the apartment. Each
owner is provided with a list of standard amenities. The
decoration is generally based on the owner's taste - we think
this adds to the homey feel of the apartments. From time
to time we make additions or changes to the decor to better
please the guests. We also restrict the geographic areas
in which our apartments are found. This helps us become specialists
of the area rather than stretching ourselves so thin by being
all over Paris. From time to time we too spend a night in
the apartment so that we can view the apartment from the
guest's point of view. Your suggestions are always taking
into consideration and we welcome guests to leave us their
comments in the guest book.
Top
I like a few apartments.
Which one do you recommend?
This is a tough question that we get
from time to time. Really the selection of the apartment
is a personal thing. Some people are looking for something
basic others something a little for glamarous. All our properties
are located in great neighborhoods with lots to do and see
from local markets and shops, bars and restaurants within
walking distance and easy access to public transportation.
These are among the many reasons the properties were selected,
so in the end it sometimes comes down to price, size and
decor. If you are a group of 4 adults we might recommend
a 2 bedroom apartment as opposed to one of the smaller one
bedrooms for example just to be sure that you will have the
most comfortable option but in the end the choice is yours.
Keep in mind that most of the properties are within walking
distance from one another.
Top
How do we get the
keys?
Assuming your arrival is not too
late, you will be met at the apartment and given an orientation
to help you feel more at home in the neighborhood and the
apartment itself. You will receive the keys at this time.
If you are driving other arrangements may be made concerning
the keys and check-in. Please ask.
Top
Why do you need our
travel details?
As someone will have to go to the apartment
to meet you there, we will need to have full travel details
for you. Please be sure to include your flight numbers and
the exact arrival time in Paris as well as the airport. This
way, we can track the flight and see if you are late. It
is still considerate, if late, that you call us to let us
know as soon as possible. Since we may have multiply arrivals
on any given day providing us with as much information as
possible will ensure that you have a pleasant and smooth
check-in to the apartment.
Top
What if I need to
check-in after 3 PM?
If
your arrival in Paris will be after 6 PM, please bring this
to our attention as early as possible as we may need to make
other arrangements for the keys or a late check-in (depending
on how you are arriving to Paris). We may also propose that
you make use of the car service we are working with. A late
check-in may be possible for an additional fee (example 25
€ for check-in after 9 PM but before 11 PM paid directly
to the greeter). Additional fees may also be assessed for
arrivals on major holidays (Christmas Day for example).
Top
I arrived at the apartment
and no one was there?
We generally wait for the guests inside
the apartment. Please refer to your confirmation sheet to
be sure of the check-in time you were given and the instructions
you were given with the entrance code etc. If you have gone
up to the apartment and there is no answer (or you buzzed
the apartment), please call us as we may be running late
from a previous check-in. If you have provided us with a
mobile phone number, we will be able to let you know that
we are running late. If you have arrived before your check-in
time, you can either call us to let us know you are already
there or wait for us to arrive for the check-in. Please do
not leave bags in the building hallways and walk away. We
are not responsible for any bags left unattended. If YOU
are late, please call us right away for further instructions.
Top
What is the security
deposit for?
The security deposit is a cautionary
deposit to cover any damages caused during your stay. The
deposit may also cover the cost of replacing any items that
might have been accidently removed from the apartment. Your
credit card will be required in order for us to process a
pre-authorization for the amount of the security deposit.
Your card is not immediately debited. A charge would only
be assessed should there be damages in the apartment that
were caused during your stay. By accepting one of our rentals,
the renter agrees that should any damage exceed the amount
of the security deposit, they will pay the difference. We
will of course provide you with receipts or estimates and
let you know as soon as possible of any damage we may have
found. We will try our best to ascertain the causes of said
damage. Should the apartment require more than the normal
amount of cleaning after your stay, we also reserve the right
to charge you in order to assist
the owner in the additional cost of cleaning.
We would like to keep
the amount of this deposit low so we ask all our guests
to please respect the apartments as they would want a guest
in their home to do and to let us know as soon as possible,
about any breakage or damage.
Top
How and when do we
get the security deposit back?
We do not debit you for the damage
deposit. Since we are requestiong an authorization from your
bank, it is your bank that will release the funds if they
in fact put any hold on your available balance. Check with
your bank for individual policies.
Top
How far in advance
can we reserve?
You can reserve the apartments up to
a year in advance. Well there really isn't a restriction
or a hard and fast rule so you can always ask. A few of our
apartments we would not be able to rent out more than a few
months ahead of time in the current year. But the majority
have their calendars for the year to come as well. Certain
seasons book up fast so planning ahead is helpful. It is
also good to remain aware of major international events,
festivals or ceremonies that might affect availability in
Paris. Just let us know what dates you are interested in
and we'll see what we can do. As they say the early bird
catches the worm.
Top
What is the minimum
length of stay?
Most of our apartments have a minimum
of 3 nights but some may require a minimum stay of a week
(6 or 7 nights). Please refer to the apartment page to be
sure. We can not take bookings less than 3 nights. If you
inquire for dates less than 3 nights, you will be assessed
the 3-night rate. During the holiday season, the minimum
stay for all apartments is 6 nights.
Top
Are the rentals Saturday
to Saturday only?
Arrival can be any day of the week.
Top
How do we get to the
apartment from the airport?
After a long flight and suitcase in
tow, many people still like to deal with the long halls and
flights of stairs of the metro stations when in fact taking
either a taxi or using a car service will save you a great
deal of hassle. Last I checked the machines for tickets for
the RER from airports only take coins and French credit cards
so you will have to queue at the "guichet" (check-out
counter) for a ticket. Don't by a ticket from a random person
standing around. We recommend using one of the car services
or a taxi for your airport to apartment transfer. We have
negotiated a rate with them especially for our guests. The
information for booking with them is on our confirmation
document.
Top
What are your cancellation terms?
We hope that you don't cancel, but if
you do, our policy is as follows:
- 60 days or more prior to arrival: 50% of the initial
payment will be refunded, as these dates have been blocked
and we have most likely had to turn away other potential
guests. If we can successfully re-book your canceled
dates, we will refund this amount to you less the €50
fee.
If you give less than 60 days notice a refund is not
possible, we will try to rent the dates we blocked for
you. If we are successful, we will send you a 100% refund,
less €50 fee.
If
you wish to POSTPONE your
booking, please note that you will need to give us 60
days notice to be able to do so without penalty. Your
new booking will be subject to availability and current
rates for that period. Should your new dates not be available
we will propose an alternative. Should you not accept
this alternative, and prefer to cancel the cancelation
policy would apply.
We
recommend that everyone take travel insurance as anything
can happen prior or during your stay. See below for sites
you can try or ask your insurance provider.
Top
Is the neighborhood
safe?
YES! We have selected apartments
in locations in Paris that we know and love. These are
areas where local families live and we would have no problem
whatsoever walking around at night. The last thing we want
is for you to feel insecure about your surroundings. That
said, this is a city and bad things happen in the best
of places. It is better to always use caution and common
sense when traveling around and major city.
Top
Is the building quiet?
We certainly like to think so. All
our street facing apartments have double glazed windows
to eliminate most street noise. These are however apartment
buildings so as much as we wish we could control our neighbors,
we can not. For the most part the neighbors are generally
nice enough to put up a little note letting the other tenants
know if they are going to be doing construction in their
apartments or having a party. This takes the edge off a
bit. Sadly not everybody is that considerate but usually
a knock on the door usually suffices to have them turn
down the music if it were to come to that. Most of our
guests have remarked about just how quiet the apartments
are. There have of course been some exceptional occasions
but we do not get many complaints about noise from our
guests. Equally we expect our guests to be respectful of
our neighbors.
Remember also that many of the properties
are in buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th century
so they may not have as much soundproofing as a modern building
would.
Top
Do you have air conditioning
in all the apartments?
This is a question that I get often
after the heat wave that hit Paris a few years ago. Most
of our apartments do not in fact have A/Cs simply because
they are unnecessary. On the whole, French buildings tend
to remain cooler relative to the outside temperature. Many
have windows on both sides of the apartment to allow for
a nice cross-breeze and frankly the 5 days in the Summer
that it is hot enough where someone might want an A/C don't
make it worthwhile to have one. We do however provide fans
if they are necessary. If you were to take the Summer of
2007 as another example, I don't even think I ever turned
on my fan - the weather was just that unpredictably off-season.
The apartments with A/Cs on our site, are those that get
a lot of direct sunlight during the peak part of the day
and it is listed in the amenities.
Top
How close are the
apartments to the tourist sights?
Depending on which sights you wish
to visit, you are within walking distance (from 20-30 minutes),
from the apartments. Most of our properties are in or close
to Montmartre so visiting Sacre Coeur or Place du Tertre
is easy. The Grande Dame apartment is located 4 minutes from
Notre Dame and is very central. Paris also has an amazingly
easy public transportation system. From many of the properties
you are just one metro ride or bus ride from the sights.
For example the 95 bus from Place Jacques Froment will get
you in front of the Louvre is about 20 minutes or so. You
can walk to Opera and the Gallery Lafayette from Montmartre.
Take line 13 straight to the Champs Elysee or to the Musee
d'Orsay. So you are never very far at all. If, however, you
are really looking for a place where you can walk to Notre
Dame in less than 10 minutes, then this is not the area for
you, but I do hope you will reconsider as I do not think
you will be disappointed.
Top
What happens
if something breaks in the apartment or stops working?
We have left in the apartment a welcome
book that can be a useful resource when trying to figure
out why the washer is not washing or the TV won't turn on.
However, if after looking through the book you do not find
a solution, please CALL US! We are never too far away and
we of course want to know. Sometimes these are things that
we can rectify quickly. We are in Paris if there is ever
a problem we are here to resolve it. There are certain days
of the week where getting someone to handle a repair is a
little more difficult but you should still give us a call.
Normal working hours are between 9:30 am and 6:30 PM. Between
the hours of 10 pm and 9 am- please call ONLY if it an emergency.
Top
Can we call you with
questions during our stay?
Yes, please do. We may not always be
able to get to your request immediately, but we will do our
utmost to ensure that you receive a response quickly. Normal
working hours are between 9:30 am and 6:30 PM. Please note
however that between the hours of 10pm and 9 am we will only
take emergency calls.
Top
Are there cleaning
supplies and other household products in the apartments?
A few basic starter supplies are provided
in the apartment for guest use, Toilet paper, paper towel,
tea, coffee, soap etc. As all our apartments are close to
grocery stores (listed in the welcome book), if you should
need any additional supplies.
Top
Are linens and towels
provided?
Yes, all linen and towels that you
will need for your stay, for the number of people you have
reserved the apartment for, are provided. Should you need
additional supplies, please let us know.
Top
Do you allow smoking?
No. Our apartments are strictly non-smoking.
Top
Are pets allowed?
Though we too are pet lovers, sadly
we can not allow pets in the apartments.
Top
What happens if we
have a very early or very late arrival or departure?
Normal check-in is 3 PM though we try
our best to accommodate our guests with different arrival
times, and normal check-out is 10 am. If you are arriving
on a very early flight, the only way you can ensure the apartment
is ready for you before 3 PM is to reserve the night before.
Likewise, if you wish to have a late departure, you would
need to reserve the extra night as well.
Top
Is there an elevator?
The majority of our apartments are
no more than 3 flights up and many are on the 1st or 2nd
floor (2nd or 3rd to North Americans). Not all the buildings
have elevators so if you require an elevator let us know.
Top
Do you have comments
from previous guests that we can read?
Yes. In every apartment we leave a
guest book that our guests are free to leave any of their
comments and suggestions in. We put these comments online
and you can access them from each of the apartments' page
on our site. We also have had guests write reviews in Tripadvisor,
Lonely Planet and on Slowtrav that you can also read.
Top
Do you know any good restaurants in the
area?
In all of our apartments, we have 1 -3
pages of some of our favorite restaurants in our welcome book.
You can also visit chef Eric's site www.cooknwithclass.com where
he makes some good suggestions as well, restaurant
suggestion.
Top
We are driving,
how do we get to the apartment?
We recommend planning your route using Michelin or Mappy
Top
How does getting the
keys work if we are driving?
Driving to Paris can be quite unpredictable.
You could have been making such good time along your whole
route till suddenly you hit the peripherique of Paris (the
outer ring), or you decide to cross all of Paris to get to
the apartment. For this reason, we may not be able assure
you a regular check-in. We ask that you give us your estimated
time of arrival and you plan on calling us once you are one
hour from Paris and once again when you have actually hit
the peripherique so that we can make arrangements either
to then go to the apartment to meet you or to have you pick
up keys if we can not check you in. If you find along the
route that you are running late, please call us and let us
know.
Top
Is there parking nearby?
We do not have parking directly associated
with the apartments, however you can visit the following
sites for information about various parking garages: Parking
des Paris or Vinci
Parking
Top
Are small children allowed?
Yes, children are welcome. In some
of our apartments however, the owner has decided on an age
limit for the children who will stay there. Please refer
to the apartment page for such details.
Top
Do you provide baby
beds?
It is possible to rent a baby bed from
us for 30 euros. Please let us know in advance so that we
can have it for you in the apartment. We would ask you to
provide your own baby bed sheets.
Top
I would like to have
a special gift for someone. Can you make any suggestions?
If you wish, we can put together a
special gift basket of local and regional goodies for your
loved ones. We can also provide gift certificates for massage
or cooking lessons from www.cooknwithclass.com.
If you are looking for something else, please let us know
and we will try to direct you as best as we can.
Top
We are interested in
buying an apartment in Paris, can you help?
If you visit our links page
you will find information for Paris Real Estate agencies
who would be happy to direct you on your search for a home
in Paris.
Top
Haven't answered your
question?
We hope we have covered most of the
questions but if your questions have still not been answered,
please feel free to send us an email. We look forward to
hearing from you.
Top
|
