How much guaranteed rent for your Paris apartment?

It's the first question any owner asks when discovering guaranteed rent: “how much for my apartment?” The honest answer isn't a figure pulled from a grid, but a line of reasoning. Here is what actually makes the amount vary, and why two apartments of the same size can end up with two very different offers.

Why there is no ready-made grid

A guaranteed-rent operator commits to paying you a fixed sum every month, whether the unit is occupied or not. That commitment has a counterpart: it can only be kept if the property is easy to re-let, is managed without friction and remains attractive throughout the contract. The amount offered is therefore the numerical translation of a simple question: how quickly, and on what terms, does this apartment find a tenant, month after month?

That's why no serious operator publishes a price-per-m² scale: a grid applied mechanically would lead either to over-promising or to undervaluing the best properties. The amount is built property by property. The overall mechanism is detailed in our guide to guaranteed rent in Paris.

The criteria that weigh the most

1. Location, beyond the arrondissement

The arrondissement gives a first indication, rarely a sufficient one. What counts is micro-location: walking distance to a well-served metro station, proximity to business districts, how quiet the street is, the presence of shops. An apartment five minutes from a transit hub is re-let quickly and regularly; the same property twenty minutes' walk away creates occupancy gaps the operator will have to absorb.

2. Floor area — and above all layout

Floor area sets the order of magnitude; layout makes the difference within that range. A two-room apartment with a genuinely separate bedroom doesn't have the same rental value as a studio of equivalent size. Natural light, floor level and elevator, a truly usable kitchen and sufficient storage also count. These are the details that determine whether an occupant stays several months or leaves at the first opportunity.

3. The condition of the property and its level of equipment

A property ready to be occupied, clean, with working equipment, allows an immediate start with no upfront costs. By contrast, restoration work, repainting or replacing worn-out equipment requires an initial investment, which the operator factors into its calculation. Energy performance also comes into play: occupant comfort, the amount of charges and the obligations that govern renting out.

4. Furnished or unfurnished

An apartment that is already tastefully furnished and properly equipped is aimed directly at occupants on assignment, with no delay or furnishing costs. An unfurnished apartment remains entirely feasible, but furnishing then represents a cost and a lead time to factor in. This choice also has tax consequences on your side, which we detail in our comparison furnished or unfurnished rental in Paris.

5. Commitment term

This is the criterion owners underestimate the most. A long commitment gives the operator visibility: it spreads its setup, marketing and furnishing costs over several years, and can therefore be more generous on the monthly rent. A short commitment concentrates those same costs over a few months. For the same property, the length of the contract can noticeably change the offer.

6. Charges, co-ownership and the regulatory framework

How charges are split between owner and tenant, the amount of co-ownership (copropriété) charges, upcoming works already voted, or clauses in the co-ownership rules restricting certain uses: all these elements enter the equation. In Paris, there is finally the framework of rent control, which caps what can be asked for a given dwelling — a point we explain in our article on rent control in Paris.

Comparing guaranteed rent with market rent: the right method

Many owners compare an operator's offer with the highest rent they've seen for a similar property. The comparison is skewed: it pits a theoretical rent, collected twelve months out of twelve in the best case, against a rent actually received every month, unconditionally. To compare honestly, you have to subtract from the market rent what it doesn't cover:

• vacancy months between two tenants, which come back with every turnover — we detailed the mechanics in our article on the real cost of vacancy;
• management fees if you delegate, or the time you spend if you manage it yourself;
• the risk of unpaid rent, and the cost of insurance meant to cover it;
• restoration work and refreshing between two occupants;
• unforeseen events — breakdowns, water damage, disputes — that always happen at the worst time.

Once these items are deducted, the gap between a gross market rent and a net guaranteed rent narrows markedly. And above all, what remains on one side is a hypothesis, while on the other it is a contractual amount.

The most common errors of judgment

Three lines of reasoning come up often and skew the analysis:

1. Using the highest rent in the neighborhood as the benchmark. Listings show asking rents, not rents actually signed, nor how long it took to find a tenant.
2. Forgetting taxes and charges. The right indicator is what is left in your account at the end of the year, not the amount written in the lease.
3. Neglecting the value of peace of mind. No longer dealing with listings, viewings, applications, move-in/move-out inspections or Sunday-evening calls has real value, even if it appears on no accounting line.

How we put together an offer

Our approach is deliberately simple. We start with your exact address, the floor area, the layout and the condition of the property, then we look at a few photos or arrange a visit. We then ask what you expect from the contract: desired term, availability of the apartment, co-ownership constraints. We then give you a fixed amount and the terms that go with it, with no commitment on your part. If any aspect of the property lowers the offer, we tell you explicitly — and we tell you what could raise it: a targeted refresh, suitable furnishing, or a longer commitment.

This article is for information only and does not replace personalized legal or tax advice. Each situation should be examined in light of your property, your co-ownership and your tax regime.