Looking for housing

There are different types of housing for students. The best housing for you will depend on your specific situation, the length of your stay and your financial resources.

It is naturally more reassuring to have already found housing before leaving for France. This is feasible if you can get a room in a CROUS university residence (although these rooms are generally reserved for recipients of French government scholarships or for exchange program participants) or if you are admitted to a school having its own student residence.

In other cases, however, trying to find accommodations from outside the area can be difficult. You will not be able to personally visit the housing units and have adequate knowledge to be sure to make the right decision.

It will also be difficult to provide the required guarantor or sign a rental agreement. For these reasons, many students opt for temporary housing during the first weeks of their stay in France and use this period to look for definitive housing.

In any case, it is important to get specific information on the regulations regarding housing rentals and the resulting rights and obligations : you will find essential information on the page key things to know.

Key things to know when it comes to renting housing

The lease (or rental agreement): with any rental, you will have to sign a lease, generally for one year. If you move out before the end of the rental period, you will have to provide three months’ advance notice. If you do not give the necessary advance notice, the owner can keep all or part of your security deposit (see below).

The security deposit: you will usually have to pay a security deposit equivalent to one month’s rent when you sign a rental agreement. It will be returned to you when you move out, unless you have left the housing unit in poor condition or have not satisfied the advance notice requirement.

Guarantee: in most cases, the owner, whether a private party or an institution, will require you to have a guarantor, i.e. an individual (friend or family member) or a legal entity (organization, association, etc.) which undertakes in writing to pay the rent in the event that you fail to do so. The guarantor must be a French resident or, for CROUS residences, an EU resident and must be able to provide proof of income equal to three, or perhaps even four times the rental amount. If you cannot provide a guarantor, you must be able to prove that you meet the same income requirement yourself or you must pay the entire annual rent in advance. In some university centers, students may, under certain conditions, be able to receive a guarantee from an educational institution, bank or local government entity. Your educational institution can provide more information on this subject.

Insurance: as a tenant, you are required to take out a comprehensive housing insurance policy covering the risks of fire, water damage, theft, etc.

Financial housing assistance: foreign students who rent housing have the same right to financial assistance as French students: the Allocation de logement à caractère social (ALS) or the Aide personnalisée au logement (APL), depending on the type of housing. Payments are made by local family assistance funds (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales, or CAF) (www.caf.fr). Your educational institution or the local office for international students will be able to help you apply to the local CAF for this financial assistance.