A new tactic for securing a rental is here: “Take your friend by the hand during the visit, and it works”

Pretending to be in a relationship to get an apartment. That’s the new tactic people are using to get past landlords’ increasingly strict filters. Sometimes they’re an actual couple, sometimes not. But for those who’ve tried it, the strategy seems to work.

“You just hold your friend’s hand during the viewing and it works,” says Agathe, a 28-year-old interviewed by Le Figaro, who, after two months of failed apartment hunting in Rennes, France, with her best friend, decided to fake a relationship. “As soon as we started saying we were a couple, we found a place within two weeks,” she says.

The tactic is becoming increasingly common in cities where demand vastly outstrips supply – places like Paris, Nice and Rennes in France. With the pressure of the market, the surge in short-term tourist rentals like Airbnb, and the exclusionary criteria many landlords apply, faking emotional stability can be the difference between getting an apartment or not.

Faking it to beat the housing system

This growing practice reveals a particularly harsh reality for those already living with instability of any kind. In other European cities like Madrid, Barcelona and Palma, landlords often demand permanent contracts with several years of history, security deposits worth up to two months’ rent, additional guarantees or bank-backed guarantors, and proof of income well above the monthly rent.

It’s not unusual for renters to be asked for their last three payslips, full employment history and even references from previous landlords. In many cases, having two people with steady incomes on the lease is seen as a major plus – two paychecks are more reassuring than one.

Landlords vs the laws

Various laws have been introduced to offer renters new safeguards, such as automatic contract renewals and stronger protections against eviction.

Still, the laws haven’t always curbed landlords’ tendency to demand tough requirements. While they may no longer be able to raise rents freely in some zones, they still get to choose their tenants. And that excludes a wide range of people – young workers without permanent contracts, freelancers, single-parent families, or solo renters unable to provide a financially secure guarantor. The law protects those already in the system, but doesn’t always help those trying to break in.

So it’s no surprise to see tricks like this. In a market that rewards the illusion of stability, pretending to be a couple becomes a dubious but effective way in.

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