Yugo Paris Lecourbe - Résidence étudiante — Local services in Paris

Youfirst was an extremely negative experience for me as a renter. Not only are the prices ridiculous for what you get (because it requires a guarantor as well as the rent), but the people that work there (the Youfirst managers) are some of the most unprofessional people I have ever met! When my application was approved to move in about a month before my move in date, I emailed the Youfirst Manager to ask if I could move in on a specific date and have my 'move in appointment' with them on that day. They then did not respond to that email (or my emails chasing them up) for weeks. So I was forced to book my travel to Paris without knowing what was going to happen or if I could move in. I booked my travel for a Saturday and then found out no one was working there on the weekend. Thankfully a kind lady called Melodie working in the Ivry residence helped me out and gave my keys to my friend that happened to be in Paris, but if that had not happened I would have not been able to access the apartment I had paid for!

The living space itself in the shared apartments is inadequate. The kitchen has no oven and only a very small stove. The bedrooms are fine, but the mattress is terrible. However, the really trouble started when I decided to move out. I first had one of the managers come to my flat for a ‘move-out appointment’. He found that everything was fine except when he turned on the microwave, it sparked. This had never happened before and I assume it’s because the microwave was super old! He then took the microwave away and I asked him if Youfirst would replace it. He said “yes, of course, it’s our responsibility”. Two days later (I assume after he talked to his boss), I received an email saying unless I replaced the microwave with a new one, they would take 90 euros out of my deposit. This was straight up extortion after I was told the opposite. I deliberated but felt as they held 850 euros of my money in the form of the deposit, I was basically powerless and just had to suck it up and buy a new microwave for them (which of course I did not use once as I moved out the next day).

Then, I was informed that Youfirst residents need to pay the building for a cleaning service at the end of their tenancy. Ok, this is fair enough and pretty standard. So I asked how much it would cost and the building manager replied “50 euros”. Ok, great, that’s a reasonable price I felt. However, yet again I assume once this person had spoken to their manager and they felt that day was a great day to extort international students for a bit of extra money, I received another email saying that in fact it was 150 euros for the cleaning service! So I had a look at the lease, and in fact it clearly stated that for shared apartments it was 90 euros. Again, I felt powerless as they held my deposit and extorted more money from me, not only immorally but illegally as their lease stated. Throughout this process of argument with the managers, I would often not receive answers to my emails for days or even weeks. The only way to get any answers was to catch them in their office for the few hours a day they are actually working and ask them in person.

Finally, and this was the biggest sham… I was told once I had moved out that I would receive back my 850 euro deposit within a month of moving out. After a month and a half I had received nothing and so got back in contact with the company and demanded my money back (or at least an explanation for why I didn’t have it yet). They said “oops our mistake, you should get it back this week”. Yet that week passed and still nothing. I had to get in contact again two weeks later to ask for it again, and finally I received the money over two months after moving out! I guess after extorting money from me twice before, if I had not chased them up twice they would have just kept my money and that would have been that!

Overall, this was not a good experience. Oh and also they didn't turn the heating on for a month after they promised it would be on due to a "technical issue"...

I would give zero stars if possible. Take the warnings here seriously because they are entirely true and can completely ruin your stay in Paris which is not worth it because the city itself is stunning.

Poor heating: the heater is set to the legal standard of 19 degrees but is cold to the touch. I’ve brought this up with the manager who came in with a forehead thermometer to measure the heater itself; when it was 19 degrees she said there was nothing she could do. This is completely unacceptable, given that we all pay high rent for such tiny spaces. Management will not do anything about it so long as they are covered by the law. I cannot stress how poorly heated it was, the tenants were perpetually freezing and always asking on the group chat if the heating was working.

Broken front door: access into the residence is via a badge that you tap in with. The first of such doors was broken for weeks, with no updates by management. When we emailed them about it they simply said they were taking care of it. In the meantime, strangers could enter the residence. I think safety should not be compromised and it is evident this residence could not care less about it.

Hot water cut off: we were informed that the hot water in the building was cut off at around 2pm. By the time I came home at night, the water was still not fixed. In the end I had to warm up water on the stovetop to shower, and the water was suddenly fixed at 2-3am in the morning only after tenants in the building rallied together and mass emailed management. I think I need not say more on this.

Extortion: when I moved in, the first manager checked me in and did the inventory check with me. I noted that the pans and utensils were already dirty and never touched them; I went down to ikea immediately to get new sets for my stay. However during my check out, the new manager, unaware that these items were already dirty to begin with, told me I was responsible for washing them. When I told her they were already dirty and even showed her the new forks I bought, she said it did not prove anything because the pictures taken by the prior manager could not be located. In the end they charged me 90€ to clean a few utensils.

Rent is not cheap in this residence, and there is a lot of bureaucratic inefficiencies I can tolerate. But if you are already planning to pay a certain amount in rent, please choose another accommodation; I’ve heard nothing but complaints from other tenants who are currently planning to move out as soon...

My experience with my student accommodation has been nothing short of a nightmare, and I feel compelled to share the details to warn others considering this place. From the moment I moved in, red flags were waving everywhere. The living conditions were deplorable, with fungus and mold rampant throughout the house. I was assured that these issues would be promptly addressed within two days of my arrival, but unfortunately, that was just the beginning of my troubles.

To my dismay, the promised fixes never materialized, and despite multiple complaints, the management remained indifferent to the persistent problems. Living in an environment plagued by mold is not only unhealthy but also unbearable. I constantly felt that my well-being was compromised, and it seriously impacted my overall living experience.

Adding insult to injury, the state of the house upon my arrival was shockingly unclean. It was evident that little effort had been made to ensure a habitable living space for incoming residents. However, the pinnacle of disappointment came when I decided to terminate my lease due to the intolerable conditions.

Much to my astonishment, they are now attempting to charge me an exorbitant 150 euros for bathroom cleaning upon my departure. This demand is not only unjust but feels like pure extortion. It's inconceivable that I should be held financially responsible for the upkeep of a place that was already in dire straits before I even moved in.

I strongly caution anyone considering this accommodation to steer clear. The management's lack of accountability and the overall disregard for tenant well-being make this place not just a disappointment but a genuine scam. It's disheartening to see such exploitation targeting students who are already grappling with the challenges of academic life. Save yourself the stress, frustration, and financial burden – look elsewhere for a living space that values its residents and upholds basic standards of hygiene...