We have interviewed Mrs. Guedj, Director of Paris Rental Services. Mrs. Guedj manages furnished apartments on behalf of their owners.

The role of an agency like Paris Rental Services is to release the owners from the pressures of renting out furnished property, with a trustworthy and professional service. One of the most obvious pressures is making sure the apartment is cleaned and the bed linen laundered after each stay, sometimes in record time!

However, our mission does not stop there. Paris Rental Services handles the booking calendar and the requests sent by Paris Attitude.

We sign the leases on behalf of the owners, welcome guests at their accommodation and always ensure an inventory is made on their arrival and when they leave. Tenants can contact us during their stay on an emergency number. We sometimes have to help out for a variety of reasons, such as problems with accessing the Internet, lost keys or water leaking. 24/7!

Finally, our last mission is by no means the least important one, since Paris Rental Services collects the rent and service charges on behalf of the owners. Our company is covered by a financial guarantee and civil liability insurance which safeguard our actions and the funds we hold on behalf of our principals.

That’s why I spoke earlier about a trustworthy relationship.

What are the main reasons why property owners call on your services?

Property owners who call on Paris Rental Services are often foreigners, expatriates or live in the provinces. They only occasionally visit their apartment and cannot deal with guests themselves and the maintenance of their property. They want to provide their tenants with the best service possible whilst being reassured that their property is kept in good order. We guarantee that rent and service charges are properly collected and deposits are objectively handled.

Our clients know that they will get their property back in the same state as when they entrusted it to us and that we will do everything necessary for both the comfort of their tenants and the comfort of the co-owners of the building where their apartment is situated. We also have a “regulation” and maintenance mission valued by our principals.

What was your career path towards becoming a furnished property agent?

To quote a popular saying, I’ve been on both sides of the fence myself!

I lived abroad for 15 years and twice founded home decorating companies.

During my stays in France, I used to rent furnished apartments. A great traveller and property owner myself, I saw the need for a professional organisation to look after tenants properly.

Our company’s actions are driven by attention to detail, a sense of beauty and the enjoyment of making tenants comfortable without ever losing sight of the efficiency of our actions. My team and I focus all our energy on these values of efficiency and service. Managing apartments involves coordinating different people both inside and outside the company.

Furthermore, my personal and professional background in house or apartment fittings and Home Staging has allowed me to develop unique expertise in overseeing turnkey renovation and decorating worksites, specifically suited to furnished property rental.

Paris Rental Services supervises the renovation and/or brightening up of apartments by keeping one eye permanently fixed on a good return for the owner.

In a few words, can you explain the process of placing an apartment under management?

All that needs to happen is a visit to the apartment and the signing of the management mandate. We ask that owners show us proof that their property and goods are covered by insurance. They must make sure they comply with legislation. At the on-site meeting (often combined with the one with Paris Attitude), we validate specific practical information and collect 4 sets of keys. Then rental can begin! We start operations straight away in partnership with Paris Attitude.

How long is the owner bound by this management mandate?

Paris Rental Services management mandates last for 1 year and are automatically renewed. They can be cancelled at any time by sending a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

Can the owner easily add or alter requests to you?

The owner is in the driving seat. He can decide when he wants to visit his property. All he needs to do is tell us and we will block out the dates he is staying on our reservation software. He receives e-mails informing him as soon as an option, a reservation or a cancellation have been made. He can view his calendar on-line at any time.

Paris Attitude offers a great variety of properties from studio flats or top of the range 6-room apartments. Is managing these apartments different depending on the type of property?

We pay the same attention to the smooth management of an apartment whether it is a studio flat or a top of the range 6-room apartment. The mandate is basically the same. High standards are maintained at Paris Rental Services and we do everything we can to satisfy the special requirements of the most demanding tenants.

Are you able to act at all independently as regards the owner and managing his property?

Management actions are defined under the management mandate. On its signature, the managing agent’s missions are perfectly defined. We agree with the owner the leeway given to Paris Rental Services for carrying out certain routine management actions.

Do you happen to have a special anecdote? An unusual request from an owner that you remember?

Anecdotes come from the tenants mostly! The tenants we look after come from all over the world. The Paris Rental Services team therefore have the chance to see how customs vary from one country to the next. So, for instance, some tenants are confused when it comes to using keys because that does not happen in their country. One evening, a tenant called us because her apartment keys did not work. She had got the wrong apartment block! It took us some time to find her as her mobile had run out of battery….