Paris apartment viewing: the 10-point checklist

The Paris rental market is one of the most competitive in Europe. Properties go within hours, viewings sometimes happen in groups, and the pressure pushes you to decide quickly. In this context, it's easy to be seduced by beautiful oak floors, a rooftop view or a renovated kitchen, and miss far more costly problems.

Yet the hidden defects of Parisian apartments, often old, follow recurring patterns. An outdated electrical installation, all-electric heating in a converted maid's room, damp concealed under a fresh coat of paint: these signals are readable, provided you know where to look.

This article gives you the checklist we use every day to guide our clients in their housing search in Paris. The goal: to turn every viewing into a quick diagnostic, and never sign a lease blindly.

Parisian apartments often have charm. They also often have age. A Haussmann building or a 1960s co-ownership can hide installations that haven't been updated in decades. Here's how to spot them in a few minutes.

The electrical installation: warning signs

Electricity is one of the most expensive items to bring up to standard. An outdated installation can represent several thousand euros in work, and in a rental apartment, it's usually the landlord who must act, but not always quickly.

During the viewing, look for these specific points:

• Presence of an electrical panel with residual current circuit breakers (not old cartridge fuses)
• Earthed sockets (three-pin plugs) in the main rooms, and especially in the bathroom
• Exposed electrical wires, fabric conduits (a sign of a pre-1970 installation), or permanent extension leads
• Number of sockets per room: fewer than two sockets in a main room is a weak signal
• Presence of a working smoke detector (mandatory since 2015)

Don't hesitate to ask the landlord or agent for the electrical report (DDT). It is mandatory for properties over 15 years old. If it is more than 6 years old or reveals anomalies, it's a negotiating point.

Damp: the invisible enemy

Damp is the most common hidden defect in old Parisian apartments. It can take several forms: infiltration through the roof or walls, rising damp from the foundations, or chronic condensation due to poor ventilation.

Unscrupulous landlords sometimes conceal these problems with a fresh coat of paint. A few signs to watch for:

• Musty or mouldy smell upon entering the room
• Paint that blisters, peels or shows yellowish halos
• Swollen skirting boards or floorboards, especially in corners
• Dark marks at the top of walls or on the ceiling (infiltration)
• Bathroom with no window or visible mechanical ventilation

Run your hand behind furniture if possible, especially behind built-in wardrobes or sofas placed against exterior walls. That's often where mould hides.

The type of heating is one of the most important questions to ask during a viewing. In Paris, systems vary considerably from one building to another, and the impact on your monthly budget can be significant.

Collective, individual or all-electric heating: the practical differences

Collective gas heating, managed by the co-ownership, is generally the most economical. Costs are shared and the price per m² remains reasonable. It is the most common system in well-maintained Haussmann buildings.

Individual gas heating gives you more control over your consumption. It's a good compromise, provided the boiler is recent and well maintained.

Ask for the date of the last service: it is a legal annual obligation.

All-electric heating, on the other hand, is the most expensive to run. It is very common in small spaces, converted maid's rooms, and properties renovated on a budget.

Inertia electric radiators or convectors in every room can push the electricity bill to €80–150 per month for a poorly insulated 20 m² in a Parisian winter.

Questions to ask every time

Never leave a viewing without asking the agent or landlord these questions:

• What type of heating is it and who is responsible for its maintenance?
• What is the average monthly service charge (water, heating, waste)?
• Can you provide the last two service charge receipts?
• Is the property rated E, F or G on the EPC? (energy-inefficient properties are being progressively banned from rental)
• Is there a working mechanical ventilation system (VMC)?

A transparent landlord will answer without hesitation. A landlord who is evasive about charges is a warning sign. Since 2021, properties rated G on the EPC can no longer have their rent increased, and renting them out will be progressively banned by 2028.

Reading the EPC like a pro

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is mandatory and must be displayed in all rental listings for a primary residence. It rates the property from A (very efficient) to G (very energy-intensive). In Paris, many older apartments are rated D, E or F.

A property rated F or G with all-electric heating is a combination to avoid at all costs, unless the rent is well below market rate and you have negotiated a works clause. For more information on the legal obligations related to the EPC, visit the official ADEME website.

An apartment is not just viewed from the inside. The immediate surroundings, common areas and neighbourhood are powerful indicators of the quality of life you will have day to day. Take two minutes before entering the building to observe.

Common areas: the image of the co-ownership

The condition of the common areas directly reflects the quality of management of the co-ownership. A clean entrance hall, a working entry code, a maintained lift and an organised bike storage room are positive signs. Conversely, damaged letterboxes, graffiti on walls or a persistent smell in the corridors indicate a poorly managed co-ownership.

Also observe:

• The condition of the timer switch and lighting in the corridors
• The cleanliness of the stairwell and bin storage area
• The presence or absence of a caretaker or on-site manager
• Notices in common areas: general meeting minutes, approved works, etc.

If you have access to the minutes of the last co-ownership general meetings, read them. They reveal the works that have been approved (and therefore upcoming charges), disputes between co-owners, and the general condition of the building.

The ground floor and noise environment

The presence of a business on the ground floor can be an asset (bakery, grocery) or a major drawback (bar, restaurant, gym). Visit the apartment at different times if possible, or at least find out about the opening hours and type of activity.

Also check proximity to:

• A busy street or bus route (night noise and vibrations)
• A school or nursery (noise at pick-up times)
• An outdoor market (morning noise, smells in summer)
• Ongoing roadworks or construction in the neighbourhood

Open the windows during the viewing. It's the simplest and most effective test to assess the real noise level of the property.

The neighbourhood on foot: 5 minutes of observation

Before or after the viewing, walk around the block. Note the presence of local shops, the quality of the pavements, the general atmosphere at the time of the visit. A neighbourhood can change radically in atmosphere between 10am and 10pm.

Also check Google Maps in Street View mode to see how the neighbourhood has evolved over the years, and reviews of nearby businesses to get a sense of local life.

The quality of the internet connection is as important a selection criterion as the size or exposure. An unstable connection or the absence of fibre can make an apartment unliveable on a daily basis.

Checking fibre optic availability before signing

Fibre optic is now available in the vast majority of Parisian buildings, but not all. Before visiting, check the address eligibility on the operators' websites (Orange, Free, SFR, Bouygues) or on the official government website. An address not eligible for fibre may force you onto ADSL, with much lower speeds.

During the viewing, ask whether fibre is already installed in the apartment (visible optical socket) or only in the building. Installation in the apartment can take several weeks after moving in, which can be a problem if you need it from day one.

Mobile reception

Take out your phone during the viewing and check the number of signal bars in each room, especially in the main room and kitchen. Some apartments in interior courtyards, basements or with thick stone walls have very poor mobile reception.

Also test 4G or 5G by browsing a web page. If the connection is poor in the apartment and fibre is not yet installed, you risk being left without a usable connection for several weeks.

This point is often overlooked during viewings, but it can become a source of daily frustration. A perfect apartment on paper can become a professional nightmare if you cannot work there properly.

Natural light is one of the most subjective criteria during a viewing, yet one of the most objectively measurable. An apartment that is bright at 11am on a June morning may be in shadow at 2pm in December. Here's how to assess the real exposure of a property.

Understanding an apartment's orientation

Orientation is the basic data point. A south-facing apartment will benefit from maximum sunlight all year round. A north-facing apartment will be bright in summer (diffuse and constant light) but dark and cold in winter. East and west offer morning and evening sun respectively.

In Paris, through-apartments (facing both street and courtyard) are particularly sought after as they combine light and natural ventilation. Check whether the apartment is a through-apartment or single-aspect (one orientation only).

Use a compass (your phone app is sufficient) during the viewing to confirm the actual orientation. Estate agents sometimes indicate "south-west" for what is actually "west".

Assessing overlooking and floor height

A ground-floor or first-floor apartment in a narrow Parisian street may receive very little direct light, even with a favourable orientation. The height of the building opposite and the width of the street are determining factors.

Look out of the windows and estimate the angle of sky visible. If you can only see the wall of the building opposite less than 10 metres away, the light will be poor whatever the time of day. Conversely, a fourth-floor apartment with a wide, open street will be bright even facing north.

Also note the presence of trees in front of the windows. In summer, a tree can block a large part of the light. In winter, without leaves, the brightness will be better. This is a seasonal factor to anticipate.

The interior courtyard: charm or darkness?

Apartments facing an interior courtyard are often quieter than those on the street, but can be significantly darker. The size of the courtyard, its height and its orientation determine the amount of light received.

A well-proportioned interior courtyard (more than 15 metres across) in a Haussmann building can be very pleasant. A small 5-metre courtyard surrounded by 6-storey walls will, on the other hand, be very dark, even in the height of summer.

Insulation is a topic few visitors raise spontaneously, yet it directly determines your thermal comfort, energy bill and quality of sleep. In an old Parisian building, insulation can vary considerably from one apartment to another.

Testing thermal insulation in 2 minutes

Place your hand on the exterior walls. A cold wall to the touch in winter indicates poor insulation. Also check the condition of the windows: single glazing, old double glazing or recent double glazing? Single glazing is a thermal and acoustic black hole.

Check the seals on windows and doors. Detached or missing seals let in cold air and noise. In a top-floor apartment, check whether the ceiling is insulated or whether you are directly under the roof.

Corner apartments have two exterior walls instead of one, making them harder to heat. This is a factor to factor into your estimate of heating costs.

Acoustic insulation: the silence test

Stay silent for 30 seconds during the viewing. Can you hear the neighbours upstairs? Conversations in the corridor? The street below? The acoustic insulation of old buildings is often insufficient, and it is difficult to improve without major works.

Find out about the immediate neighbours: a family with young children above, a musician on the same floor, a restaurant below. This information is not always volunteered, but an honest agent will answer your direct questions.

If the apartment is above a business, ask about the opening hours and type of activity. A restaurant with kitchen extraction can generate smells and noise until midnight. A bar with a terrace can make summer nights difficult.

Questions to ask about insulation

• Are the windows single or double glazed? Have they been replaced recently?
• Have any insulation works been carried out in the co-ownership in the last 10 years?
• What is the EPC rating of the apartment and the building?
• Are there any known noise complaints from neighbours?
• Is the apartment subject to an Environmental Noise Prevention Plan (PPBE)?