Room for improvement: Matchbox apartments in Paris

Paris

THOUSANDS of Parisians round off a hard day's work with a trudge up six flights of stairs to a tiny, stuffy room they resignedly call home.

In a city where it is notoriously difficult to find a flat - especially on a low budget and without the right paperwork - many rooms that once served as domestic helpers' sleeping quarters have been turned into apartments for rent.

It is borderline illegal to rent out these micro-apartments, typica…