I can't do France and the UK, but I can do Germany and the UK. There's definitely similarities, but there's a lot of differences as well, and the differences are often important. For example, the longer I rent in Germany, the safer I am against being forced out or having my rent arbitrarily raised. That is not true in the UK, where there is very little protection for renters. The types of apartment one can get in the UK and in Germany differ significantly, in everything from the quality of materials to the design of the neighbourhood.

This means that things that will be a significant issue for a tenant in one location will be irrelevant in another location and vice versa. Understanding the issues on the ground usually requires living in that place for a significant amount of time.