Lodgis?

[sistereurope]

Hi all,

Wheeee! I'm back in Paris planning mode and I am so happy!

Anyway, I found a great apartment for my trip in Dec. on Lodgis. It's right where I want to be (in the 13th bordering the 5th, on the ave des Gobelins, right near a metro - it's incredibly lovely and very reasonable for a TWO bedroom (taking my mom and don't really want to 1) share a bed or 2) sleep on a sofabed)
Have any of you used Lodgis before? Any feedback would be welcome. I checked out everyone's favorite apartment rental agencies and found a few that would do, but this one seems just about perfect...

Gitte - I know that you are familiar with this area...I will be asking you for your favorite cafes and boulangeries later!

[GitteK]

sister - though I have not used Lodgis I have been corresponding with them (last autumn) about an apartment for this summer. The first reply I got was that "the owner does not want to rent out his apartment as such an early date" - and mind you, I was ready to pay the full amount up front. When I wrote that back to them, they never even replied.
So...... as to their service, I was very disappointed. I suppose they are OK, but you should know that they only act as intermediaries (right word ?) between the owner and the tenant.
For next summer I have chosen www.parisaddress.com which on TA recieves very good recommendation.
I suggest you browse on the TA forum for "lodgis" and study the latest posts. You might even write a private message to some of the posters for advice. I would do that ......... if I weren't banned from writing private messages on TA.

As to boulangeries you will be lucky to next to Paris's prizewinning nr. 1 "Boulangerie du Monge" which is in the intersection between Rue Monge, Avenues des Gobelins and Rue Mouff. I loved their escargots aux raisins - which are my favorite.
And you are right - the area is very nice.

[sistereurope]

Thanks Gitte!!! I wrote to them, just a general inquiry as to the availability of the apartment. I did see a few on Parisaddress that will do..it's just that this one was exactly where I want to be AND it had 2 bedrooms AND it was really reasonable and looked LOVELY in the pics:
vacation.lodgis.com/en/paris/description/3133166-rue-de-la-reine-blanche-apartment/?cur=EUR

I will take your very sound advice and check them out further...and see how they respond...

No matter what, I am going to be in that area - I am excited to see that I'll be near the award winning Boulangerie du Monge...yum...

[Truffaut]

I've heard some unflattering comments about Lodgis, though I've never used them myself.

[sistereurope]

Well, I heard back from Lodgis...The landlord wants to rent the apartment from Dec 22 - Jan 7 so it won't work anyway.
Back to the hunt...I loved the place (at least from the pics) but I have to admit to being a little leery of them after reading some things on that other site...I think I'll stick with the trusty reliables.

If anyone knows of a great place in the lower part of the 5th near rue Mouffetard, please share!

[trechic]

Hi Sister: What is it particularly about that area "the lower part of the 5th near ru Moffetard" that is so appealling to you? BTW, the Lodgis apt you found there does look great and the price is even greater! 700E for the week! 1600E for the month!! That is the price of my little one room studio in the 4th - and I thought that was a great deal!!

[GitteK]

"the lower end of Rue Mouff", Censier Daubenton, Monge, Jardin des Plantes, - is a very lovely neighbourhood, IMO.
But are you sure that it has to be an apartment ?? I stayed in Hotel de l''Esperance for a week last July and loved it very much. GREAT value for a 2-star hotel. Absolutely spotless, shining bathroom - very nice hotel.

www.hoteldelesperance.fr/index.htm

www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d194225-Reviews-Hotel_de_l_Esperance-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

[sistereurope]

I remember you mentioning that hotel Gitte...it sounded really nice and I actually had looked at it back then. But I'm afraid that I am now sold on staying in an apartment. I enjoy having the space to spread out and I enjoy the privacy. I like having a kitchen where I can make breakfast and/or lunch and eat it at a table, with china and real silverware. We always stay in an apartment unless we're away for less than 5 days or so (we stayed in one in San Francisco even though we were only there for 4 days). And to be honest, in an apartment I can have the fantasy that I actually LIVE there - even if it is only for a week.

Tre - I had thought about staying in the Marais as well. But I wanted to be close to a good friend of mine who lives near the Place d'Italie (13th bordering the 5th)...and I'm going with my mom and she really wants to visit a market street, so I thought that the Mouffetard area would work. That apartment was almost too good to be true!

But now I've opened the search to all of the 5th...I have to admit to enjoying looking at apartments all day instead of WORKING.

[catherine]

G'day sistereurope. I'm sitting in a Lodgis apartment now and its really good. As others have said, they're only intermediaries and don't own OR manage the apartment so one can only comment on their responsiveness in the initial transactions. I thought it went well. They require more paperwork and I had to go out a find international fax machines on a couple of occasions and fax back within a time limit. However, once its all done, I felt more sure that the owner couldn't 'suddenly' find the apartment to have become unavailable. I've had that before with an agency to which I'd sent the deposit only to see the online calendar flash up a 6 week booking - which I bet they ditched me to take.

However, I suspect the responsiveness of Lodgis depends somewhat on whether the owner gets back to them quickly too so it can't always be guaranteed. Lodgis were good at letting me know quickly by email that they had received my faxes which was good.

Anyway, good luck with your search whichever way you go.

[sistereurope]

Thanks...Lodgis told me that the owner wanted to rent the place for 2 weeks or something like that.

Anyway, I've rented a lovely apartment on rue Domat in the 5th - a little further away from the rue Mouffetard than I was orginially looking - but near the market at Place Maubert and closer the the sights (and people! ) I rented through Parisaddress, who seem good so far. They take credit cards which is a good thing for me! I'll let everyone know what I think of them when I return.

[metromole]

We rented via Lodgis in 2003 on rue de l'Estrapade near Place de la Contrescarpe in the neighborhood you are seeking. Our conclusions:
Good apartment - BUT, we didn't find it through Lodgis, we had to do the rental process through them though.
Poor to awful service from Lodgis. They never remembered our arrangement or contract and made us re-orient them to our contract every time we called them. Laziness? Crappy computer database software at their end?, Poorly trained staff with far less knowledge than the average TA regular?
It's all of the above. They su*k and they're really expensive. They're business model and pricing is all about linking Parisians with apartments _long term_ and they're only recently delving into vacation rentals. Their agent's average age seems to be around 19 so that's another issue in itself. I'm not casually dismissing them. We've tried them many times.

[sistereurope]

I believe that just from my limited experience with them, Metromole...now I'm even more glad that I went with a more positively reviewed agency.

[eric]

Metromole,
I agree with you about Lodgis. That is their "poor to awful service".
I had the same problem: I rented through them last year during 9 month and it was OK (I am on a business mission for a parisian client). I wanted to re-rent through them for and extra 3 months and suddenly they treated me like a complete stranger, like they never knew me. They even asked me for my tax statement!!! For a three month extension!!! My only answer was : No way. I eventually went direct with the landlord and we did without Lodgis. Which proves that Lodgis' poor service is counterproductive for both the tenant and the landlord!
Conclusion: avoid them. they must change or die.

[possopo]

I am a property owner in Paris and LODGIS is just very very baaaad (I'm listed on their website) !
actually many rental agencies are awful.
I'll suggest you to try to find a small rental agency or even better a property owner.
Craig's List is loaded with scams but I think it's quite easy to find real properties with good owners who will do their best to make you love your stay in Paris.

as for fair rental agencies : hideaways and beau Paris have a good reputation.
as for direct owner's rentals, I could also give you a few links but I think moderators would think I'm spamming.
so PM me and I'll give the link to my apartment's website:)
and a few others who I know for sure are not scammers.