International & World Report

Is this a consequence of the economic crisis? "We found an increase in rent arrears in 2009," said Lucie Cahn, CEO of Apagl, the Association for access to rental guarantees. "About 30% of tenants in difficulty were unemployed and 25% of them had suffered a decline in their income," says she.

A difficult situation for tenants, but also for landlords, private income sometimes required at the time of retirement. To avoid such a scenario, they can protect themselves by taking out probably next month, with an insurer, the new security risks rental (GRL).

The propriétairesmieux protected

This extends the existing insurance arrangements.It is for rents not exceeding 2.000 euros and the maximum coverage is 70,000 euros and costs about 2% of annual rent.

However, the UNPI (National Union of Property Owners) said the device "inappropriate." "It is quite unfair to bear the brunt of financing the GRL by the lessor while the lessee is is insured and who will benefit from the contract, "sorry Jean Perrin, president of the UNPI.

The relationship between landlords and tenants are not always simple. "While the vast majority of rentals are going well, some cases come up repeatedly," said David Rodrigues, a lawyer for the consumer association CLCV.

The reimbursement by the landlord's security deposit at the end of rental, tops disputes.They are "more and more," says besides a survey released Wednesday by the CLCV, as Le Figaro was purchased.

Since 2008, the amount of the deposit is one month's rent excluding charges (rather than two months). According to the survey, the tenant is unlikely to recover fully after his move: the case of only 10% of tenants. And "in addition to a lease on three (37.5%), the lessor retains the full deposit, according to the survey. The majority of tenants (52.5%) recovered some of their stake. "But only 28% of the amount deposited in average (36% on average in case of dispute).

Withholding part of security deposit can be explained in deteriorating housing, or by UNPI, non-payment of last month's rent … But "this is not always the case," says CLCV."Quite often (28%), donors do not justify the deductions from the deposit," said David Rodrigues. "For this reason, we want the landlord to provide invoices stating that repairs were actually made," he concludes.

While some are preparing to face the cold polar for finding deals, a growing number of consumers will continue this Wednesday, though warm at the computer … The survey conducted by Directpanel Research for the Federation of e-commerce and of distance selling (Fevad), three quarters of Internet users intend to make sales online. 16 million French, constant compared to last year.

Besides the practical aspect of the cyber shopping avoiding transport, cold and congestion, especially Internet landslide rates from Fevad. On the Web, customers have comparators which can not fail sizeable discounts that can reach 90% from the first day of sales.Another advantage, if any error or deception, online stores subject to the regulation of distance selling are required to return the items during the withdrawal period of seven days.

EUR 168 on average

Under existing regulations, the kickoff will be given 8 hours, although some sites have offered to their online shoppers fill their baskets to advance to validate not only the final fateful hour. As in the shops "physical" Moreover, the proposed articles are unsold new sold for over a month.

According to the survey, users hear and spend 168 euros on average. Some 10% of 990 respondents-are even willing to go up to 500 euros. The fashion, female as male, are the products most desired.Accessories, footwear and electronics complete the shopping list type.

Last year, the federation had found a 16% increase in sales over the internet in the first day of sales.

In addition, the situation in France deteriorated since 2008, when she pointed again at 160 th place. It must be said that 20 countries have lowered their corporate tax this year. "France has made efforts, including the tax-credit research. But this device, for some SMEs, is not included in the study. And in the future, reform of business tax should have a positive effect 'grade Philippe Durand, a lawyer at Landwell (the law firm of PWC).

The tax burden is not the only criterion taken into account

Above all, the tax burden is not the only criterion taken into account in the study. A rightly so because the number one country for low taxes is East Timor, little known for its overall competitiveness.To measure the overall tax appeal, the study also includes the time spent by businesses to report and pay their taxes and the number of payments. But on these two points, France is ranked (40th in the first case, the 9th in the second). She even won ranks.

This is the result of political modernization efforts for several years with the proliferation of TV-declarations via the Internet and creating a single direction at Bercy managing the assessment and collection of taxes (the General Directorate of Public Finance) . Through this effort, France back in the overall attractiveness of the tax from the 66 th place in 2008 to 59th place in 2009.