This guide is for people who have just arrived in Paris, or are about to, and need to move within the region: from a temporary furnished flat to a long-term home, from one arrondissement to another, or out to the western suburbs. We move within France only. Once you have a French address, the steps below apply.
Paris buildings
A large part of central Paris dates from the 19th century, and many buildings are stone blocks of six or seven floors. Lifts were often added later, inside the stairwell, and many are small: two or three people, or a few boxes. Staircases are narrow and turn tightly. The top floor often has former maids’ rooms, reached by a service staircase with no lift.
Floors are counted as in the UK. The ground floor is the rez-de-chaussée (RDC) and the 1er étage is one flight up, which Americans would call the second floor.
Before asking for a quote, measure your largest pieces (sofa, wardrobe, fridge) and compare them with the lift and the staircase. What will not fit goes out through a window with a furniture lift (monte-meuble), at €250 excl. VAT for half a day, per address. Carrying by the stairs without a lift costs €30 excl. VAT per floor.
Parking the truck
In Paris, a moving truck needs a temporary occupation permit (autorisation d’occupation temporaire), requested online from the City of Paris at least 15 days before the move. It covers 7 am to 8 pm. Without it, the truck can only use paid parking spaces, for six hours at most, and a furniture lift is not allowed. The permit allows the truck to park but does not reserve the space, so the spot can be kept free with cones beforehand.
In the suburbs, the town hall (mairie) issues the permit, each with its own deadline: at least 7 days before in Courbevoie, 10 days in Neuilly-sur-Seine and 15 days in Levallois-Perret. With the Standard and Comfort services, we make the application for you at both addresses.
Your building: caretaker, management and rules
- Tell the gardien or gardienne (caretaker) a few days before the move.
- Book the lift if the building allows it, and ask what protection the lobby and walls need.
- Read the building rules (règlement de copropriété). Many limit moving hours, and some ban moves on Sundays.
- For anything the caretaker cannot decide, contact the syndic, the company that manages the building.
French words you will see
| French | English | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Devis | Quote | Written and free, it lists the volume, the service level and the price excl. and incl. VAT |
| m³ (mètre cube) | Cubic metre | The unit for your volume: a studio holds 8 to 14 m³ |
| Formule | Service level | Economy, Economy +, Standard or Comfort |
| Bail | Lease | It sets your notice period and your moving-out date |
| État des lieux | Inspection report | Signed when you move in and when you leave, so check it carefully |
| Dépôt de garantie | Deposit | Returned after the move-out inspection |
| Déclaration de valeur | Declaration of value | It sets the insurance cover for your belongings |
| Lettre de voiture | Consignment note | Signed on delivery: write any damage on it |
| Monte-meuble | Furniture lift | It takes furniture in or out through a window |
| Gardien, gardienne | Caretaker | Knows the building and its rules |
| Syndic | Building management company | Sets the rules for the common areas |
| Cave | Cellar | Count what is stored there in your volume |
How a move with us works
- Ask for a price on the quote page, in English: addresses, floors, lifts, volume and date.
- We call you back within 24 hours, 7 days a week, and send a free written quote with the declaration of value.
- With the Standard and Comfort services, we apply for the parking permits.
- On the day, the team wraps your furniture in blankets and covers, packs what your service level includes, loads and drives.
- At the new flat, the furniture goes into the right rooms. You check your belongings, then sign the consignment note. If something is damaged, write it on the note. You then have 10 days to send further reservations by registered letter.
Our moving prices page shows what a move within Paris costs, from a studio to a house, for each service level.
After the move
- Declare your new address on the French government’s online change-of-address service (service-public.fr), which passes it on to several public bodies at once.
- Ask La Poste to forward your mail (réexpédition du courrier, a paid service).
- Take out home insurance (assurance habitation). It is compulsory for tenants.
- Transfer or open your electricity and internet contracts.
Related pages
Students will find prices for small moves and top-floor rooms on our student moving page. If your company is relocating its offices, see office moving. For a later move to Lyon, Bordeaux or Marseille, see moving within France, and for furniture waiting between two flats, furniture storage. Our English home page lists the areas we cover.