# An offer too good to refuse??? Real estate shenanigans.



## zorconinternational

Hi all - would love to know the collective wisdom here.
Coming to stay in France for a year, arriving August next year. Have been fortunate enough to find a rental property already, contract signed, deposit paid etc. A major stressor removed. Happy days.
_But_, the real estate agency contacted me the other day with an offer too good to refuse: pay an extra two months' rent now, and get *25%* off. Is this:

totally normal, go for it you fool
highly suspicious, avoid at all costs
I mean, I'd much rather the cash in my pocket than in someone else's, but seems like an inordinately large reduction. It kinda seems like an odd grab for money. Like, is the agency struggling with liquidity??
Thoughts??
Danny.


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## LFBEUSTON

zorconinternational said:


> Hi all - would love to know the collective wisdom here.
> Coming to stay in France for a year, arriving August next year. Have been fortunate enough to find a rental property already, contract signed, deposit paid etc. A major stressor removed. Happy days.
> _But_, the real estate agency contacted me the other day with an offer too good to refuse: pay an extra two months' rent now, and get *25%* off. Is this:
> 
> totally normal, go for it you fool
> highly suspicious, avoid at all costs
> I mean, I'd much rather the cash in my pocket than in someone else's, but seems like an inordinately large reduction. It kinda seems like an odd grab for money. Like, is the agency struggling with liquidity??
> Thoughts??
> Danny.


Depends who the agency is! If it is a reputable company then it's probably a very good offer. Things are tight all round at the moment and they want money.


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## GraceS

To clarify: do you mean that the agency was giving you a chance to *extend *your rental for two months, at a lower cost, or to pay up front for the* first* two months at a discounted rate?


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## zorconinternational

GraceS said:


> To clarify: do you mean that the agency was giving you a chance to *extend *your rental for two months, at a lower cost, or to pay up front for the* first* two months at a discounted rate?


Hi Grace
I've already paid one month's rent, plus a month's bond. So this would be month 2 & month 3, at effectively 75% the advertised cost. Not to extend into a 13th and 14th month as such.


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## zorconinternational

LFBEUSTON said:


> Depends who the agency is! If it is a reputable company then it's probably a very good offer. Things are tight all round at the moment and they want money.


Good point LFB - I _guess_ they are reputable??? I have been researching this move for ages, and this agency has appeared many times in my searches. They have what appears to be a strong media presence across a number of platforms. So...yes?? I think they are.


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## Clic Clac

Normally in France they seem to think a couple of percent is a big discount.

I wouldn't have thought that the agency fees would be any more than 20%, so what benefit will it be to the agency?

Unless they are doing it on a large scale and not planning to pass the cash forward to the owners at the moment, 

holding on to it until next autumn - or planning to go bust before then.

You know the old adage ..... and this one looks too good to be true.


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## zorconinternational

Clic Clac said:


> Normally in France they seem to think a couple of percent is a big discount.
> 
> I wouldn't have thought that the agency fees would be any more than 20%, so what benefit will it be to the agency?
> 
> Unless they are doing it on a large scale and not planning to pass the cash forward to the owners at the moment,
> 
> holding on to it until next autumn - or planning to go bust before then.
> 
> You know the old adage ..... and this one looks too good to be true.


Thanks Clic Clac - I think I'm thinking what you're thinking too


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## GraceS

zorconinternational said:


> Hi Grace
> I've already paid one month's rent, plus a month's bond. So this would be month 2 & month 3, at effectively 75% the advertised cost. Not to extend into a 13th and 14th month as such.


Ok, in that case, I would not do it. The pluses and minuses are asymmetrical.

Best outcome is that you save something on two months' rent. But you'd already decided the original rental rate was acceptable. Savings would be nice, but not major. 

Worst outcome is that you lose everything you've paid them. So not only what you've paid already, but also a huge chunk of two more months' rent.


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## Clic Clac

One for you French legal-eagles :

If OP has a signed contract from the home owner (presuming it was), and a receipt for his payment of rent & deposit paid to the owner's chosen representative,
is that 'taken as read' that he has fulfilled his part of the contract should this agent 'disappear' without passing on the funds to the owner?


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## BackinFrance

Has the owner signed the lease agreement under the original conditions?


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## BackinFrance

Clic Clac said:


> One for you French legal-eagles :
> 
> If OP has a signed contract from the home owner (presuming it was), and a receipt for his payment of rent & deposit paid to the owner's chosen representative,
> is that 'taken as read' that he has fulfilled his part of the contract should this agent 'disappear' without passing on the funds to the owner?


If the tenant has all of the correct paperwork, then it is a legal matter between the owner and the agent. 

The tenant is legally required to take out home insurance and would be well advised to ensure that that insurance includes protection juridique.


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## zorconinternational

BackinFrance said:


> Has the owner signed the lease agreement under the original conditions?


It certainly appears as though the owner has signed the contract.


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## zorconinternational

BackinFrance said:


> If the tenant has all of the correct paperwork, then it is a legal matter between the owner and the agent.
> 
> The tenant is legally required to take out home insurance and would be well advised to ensure that that insurance includes protection juridique.


How do I go about finding this insurance? Do you know of any agencies who might assist? I'm in Australia, therefore doing all of this quite remotely.
Merci bien 
Danny.


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## BackinFrance

zorconinternational said:


> It certainly appears as though the owner has signed the contract.


Do you have a copy?


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## BackinFrance

zorconinternational said:


> How do I go about finding this insurance? Do you know of any agencies who might assist? I'm in Australia, therefore doing all of this quite remotely.
> Merci bien
> Danny.


It is French insurance. ÀXA, Pacifica, Zurich, etc offer it.


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## BackinFrance

Location meublée ou vide : quelles différences ?


Seules certaines règles sont communes au contrat de location d'un logement vide et à celui d'un logement meublé.




www.service-public.fr


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## zorconinternational

BackinFrance said:


> Do you have a copy?


Yes I do, thankfully!


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## BackinFrance

I would not take the offer. I assume you are renting furnished and that you have not visited the apartment. As things stand, if you find it unsuitable you can immediately give notice and look for something else. If you take the offer you will either delay or lose more than otherwise. It is really strange that they are offering a rental so far ahead of time, which suggests they are having real difficulty letting it. Unless of course someone has given extremely long notice to quit. 

But then I am not really in favour of renting sight unseen for a long period.


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## zorconinternational

BackinFrance said:


> I would not take the offer. I assume you are renting furnished and that you have not visited the apartment. As things stand, if you find it unsuitable you can immediately give notice and look for something else. If you take the offer you will either delay or lose more than otherwise. It is really strange that they are offering a rental so far ahead of time, which suggests they are having real difficulty letting it. Unless of course someone has given extremely long notice to quit.
> 
> But then I am not really in favour of renting sight unseen for a long period.


On the balance of all the info provided by you and others, I won't take up the offer.
Being on the other side of the world, we haven't seen the flat.
Strangely enough, it is unfurnished.
We're happy to pick up the bare basics when we get there (Ikea, local Emmaus, Facebook marketplace etc.) and give it all away when we leave (back to the Emmaus). The rent being asked is good for the location (five minute walk to our daughter's school/centre of town), and the size of the flat (even considering the cost of adding our own furnishings).


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## zorconinternational

BackinFrance said:


> It is really strange that they are offering a rental so far ahead of time, which suggests they are having real difficulty letting it. Unless of course someone has given extremely long notice to quit.


On that point, when I had a good look around their website, they had a number of rentals around France that were not available yet. In other words, I think they do have a few on their books that they are expecting to be available several months in advance.
At least, that is what I am hoping!
Danny.


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## zorconinternational

Update: I sent the chap a message today, and he asked me about whether or not I was still interested in the rent discount. I said I didn't have the spare cash lying around (a partially true statement), but that I was also worried. I said that I can't see how this benefits the landlord or the agency. I said I can't understand how they can afford to lose so much money.
His response was: "_Regarding the discount, it is the only discount we do during the year and that's why we do it just in 24 hours...The other advantage is that at the same time we offer the possibility to the owner to receive 2 months of their money in advance. You just tell me and I will take care of it."_

Now I am not a landlord, but there is *no way* I am taking a 25% hit, just so I can get my cash nine months in advance. How am I going to recoup that loss in that time??
Danny


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## GraceS

BackinFrance said:


> It is really strange that they are offering a rental so far ahead of time, which suggests they are having real difficulty letting it. Unless of course someone has given extremely long notice to quit.


Over the last five years, I've rented five different apartments via French real estate agencies. Lease length varied from five months to one year. And I arranged each rental six to ten months in advance.

One thing that makes this possible is that the renter of a French furnished, short-term "secondary residence" doesn't have the same rights to renew/extend their stay as does someone renting a long-term primary residence. So that means the landlord can promise the rental to the next person well in advance.

Also, keep in mind that the Olympics will take place in France in the summer of 2024. So, I don't find it strange at all that people are already lining up their one-year rentals for summer 2023 to summer 2024.


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## zorconinternational

GraceS said:


> Over the last five years, I've rented five different apartments via French real estate agencies. Lease length varied from five months to one year. And I arranged each rental six to ten months in advance.
> 
> One thing that makes this possible is that the renter of a French furnished, short-term "secondary residence" doesn't have the same rights to renew/extend their stay as does someone renting a long-term primary residence. So that means the landlord can promise the rental to the next person well in advance.
> 
> Also, keep in mind that the Olympics will take place in France in the summer of 2024. So, I don't find it strange at all that people are already lining up their one-year rentals for summer 2023 to summer 2024.


Thank you Grace - this is very useful, and quite reassuring information. There was a lingering doubt in my mind about why the property was offered up so far in advance, but your post explains it well.
Cheers,
Danny.


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## BackinFrance

Or it could even be that the current tenant has a child at the school who is planning to leave during the summer.. Who knows?


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## LoveGreenTea

zorconinternational said:


> Hi Grace I've already paid one month's rent, plus a month's bond. So this would be month 2 & month 3, at effectively 75% the advertised cost. Not to extend into a 13th and 14th month as such.


 If I were you, I would not go for it. While it’s tempting get a discount, the time from now until August next year is eight months! You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I don’t want to sound negative, but so many things can happen within the next eight months. It’s better that you hang on to your cash until it’s really time to part with it! Good luck!


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## zorconinternational

LoveGreenTea said:


> If I were you, I would not go for it. While it’s tempting get a discount, the time from now until August next year is eight months! You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I don’t want to sound negative, but so many things can happen within the next eight months. It’s better that you hang on to your cash until it’s really time to part with it! Good luck!


I think I agree with you LGT. Even though recent comms with the real estate agent have given me a little more confidence in their legitimacy and the propriety of their conduct, I'm still not going to cough up.
Cheers!
Danny


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