Steep Rental Prices in Paris… 330 Euros a Month for a 1.5m2 Closet?

This Paris landlord gives “out of the closet” a whole new meaning. The minimum allowable area for an apartment to be considered habitable in Paris is nine square meters.

These measurements do not take into consideration balconies, areas under the eaves with low clearance or closets turned into bed alcoves. This usually means that the actual space is a little bigger than the square meter indicated on paper. In this case the total area of the space for rent was 1.56m2 –well under the legal minimum– but this didn’t seem to worry the three different estate agents that managed the rental over different periods of time.

The Fondation Abbe Pierre, a charity that helps homeless and displaced people, brought the case to light and the landlord is now awaiting his day in court.

Here’s an idea of property prices in Paris.