In Paris, a decent listing gets dozens of messages within the hour. The landlord, or the agent, scrolls through them on their phone and replies to the ones that make them want to. In other words, your message is read for a few seconds, often in a notification preview. It all comes down to the first lines.
What the landlord is looking for
They ask themselves three questions, in this order:
- Can this applicant pay? Income, contract, guarantor.
- Does it fit my flat? Move-in date, number of occupants, length of stay.
- Will it be easy? A complete dossier, someone reachable, no back-and-forth.
A good message answers all three before they need to ask.
For the first question, here is the list of documents to provide, and those a landlord can't ask for.
The structure that works
1. A sentence that shows you read the listing. Not "Hello, I'm interested". Rather: "I'm very interested in your two-room flat on rue de Charonne." The landlord sees straight away that it's not a copy-paste sent to thirty listings.
2. Your situation in one line, with numbers. "I'm on a permanent contract since March 2024, with a net income of €3,200 a month and the Visale guarantee." Three reassuring facts, no essay.
3. What fits the flat. Your move-in date, alone or as a couple, how long you plan to stay.
4. Your application, attached. One file, not a dozen: listing sites mask links in messages, not files. The landlord opens it whenever they like, on any device.
5. When you can view. "Available for a viewing from this week, evenings included." You make the next step easy.
An example to adapt
Hello,
I'm very interested in your two-room flat on rue de Charonne. I'm on a permanent contract since March 2024, with a net income of €3,200 a month and the Visale guarantee. I'm looking to move in on my own from 1 November.
My complete application is attached.
I'm available for a viewing from this week.
Best regards,
Camille Martin
Five sentences, everything needed. Replace each detail with yours: the address or a detail of the listing, your real situation, your dates. If you're writing to a French landlord, write in French: it's always appreciated.
The mistakes that get you skipped
- The generic message, the same for every listing. It shows from the first line.
- The three-paragraph cover letter. Nobody reads it on a phone.
- Loose attachments. Twelve files named "IMG_4032.jpg" discourage before they're even opened.
- Missing information. Without income or a guarantor, the landlord moves on to a dossier that gives them.
- Sending too late. On a good listing, the first hours count. Prepare your dossier before you search, not after.
When and how to follow up
No reply? That's normal, and it doesn't mean no. A well-timed follow-up often makes the difference:
- two working days after your first message;
- only once, short and polite;
- reminding them of the listing and attaching your application again.
Hello, I'm getting back to you about your two-room flat on rue de Charonne. I'm still very interested, and I'm attaching my application again. I'm available for a viewing whenever suits you.
Beyond one follow-up, move on to the next listing: your time is better spent elsewhere.
