Who are the professionals who rent apartments in Paris for a few weeks?

Lawyers on assignment, consultants on the move, executives temporarily expatriated to Paris… This segment of tenants is little known to owners, even though it represents an exceptional yield opportunity.

A structural market, not a cyclical one

Paris is one of Europe's leading financial and legal centers. Every year, tens of thousands of professionals come to work here for a few weeks to a few months: corporate lawyers on assignment for a merger-and-acquisition case, McKinsey or BCG consultants seconded to a Paris client, multinational executives in transition ahead of a permanent job transfer, technical experts on assignment for a major industrial group.

These professionals have one thing in common: they need a quality, well-located, furnished and immediately available apartment. Hotels are too expensive for stays of 3 to 12 weeks, and tourist platforms do not always offer the guarantees they need (stability, invoice, service).

Their typical profile

Based on our experience at Belvie, the professionals who rent Paris apartments typically have these characteristics:

• High income level: their rent is often paid by their employer or client. Solvency is not an issue.
• Highly educated (five years or more of higher education): lawyers, consultants, engineers, doctors, executives. They are used to living in quality housing and take care of it.
• Length of stay: between 2 weeks and 6 months, with an average of around 5 to 8 weeks.
• Requirements: reliable Wi-Fi, functional equipment, quality bedding, proximity to public transport. No extravagant demands.

Why they pay more

The economic logic is simple: for a law firm that assigns a lawyer to a Paris case, housing that lawyer in an apartment at €2,500/month is a marginal cost compared with the fees billed. The 4-star hotel night at €350 they would otherwise occupy comes to €10,500 per month.

A furnished, comfortable and well-located apartment is seen as a solution that is more efficient and cheaper than a hotel for stays of more than 2-3 weeks. Hence a willingness to pay a monthly rent well above the standard residential rental market.

The most in-demand areas in Paris

Demand from professionals is highly concentrated geographically. The most sought-after arrondissements are:

• 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th: close to law firms, investment banks and corporate headquarters
• 6th and 7th: prestige, quality of life, proximity to institutions
• 16th and 17th: highly sought after by expatriate executives with families
• 11th and 3rd: these arrondissements are moving upmarket and are increasingly attractive to tech and consulting profiles

Proximity to a metro or RER station is almost systematically cited as a selection criterion, along with the quality of the internet connection.

What this means for you as an owner

If your apartment is well located in Paris, equipped and well maintained, you probably have access to this market — without knowing it. The difficulty is finding these tenants: they don't go through Le Bon Coin, don't search on PAP, and don't have time to visit 10 apartments.

That is precisely where an operator like Belvie comes in: we have relationships with law firms, companies and relocation agencies that regularly send us these profiles. By entrusting your apartment to our network, you gain access to this market segment effortlessly.