French letters

Since my Portuguese labourer left mid December, I have 2 vacant studios to let. The boss of the labourer continued to be a pain in the arse as he did not come and collect the furniture until 3 weeks ago. So if there had been people seeking a studio to rent I would not have been able to house them. I notice from my bank statement that the agency failed to get me any rent for December, January or February, so they continue to impress me.
However, for the first time ever, someone from the agency has come out and put a "to rent" sign in the window (facing out to the road no less!!). This is the first time that they have ever shifted off their backsides, so perhaps my notaire has changed the letting agency.
Times continue to be hard here on the employment front, with unemployment continuing to rise. This being a rural area with very little industry, except the seasonal tourist outdoor pursuits, such as skiing, climbing, canoeing, etc the area is suffering more than most.
There is a modern block of flats opposite my tumble-down lodging house. Sometimes he has had vacancies, but there are already tenants waiting to move in. At the moment he has at least 4 empty flats out of a possible 8. No jobs = no workers looking for a place to live = no tennants for little ol' wine drinker me.