Looking for housing

It is naturally more reassuring to have already found housing before leaving for France. 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.


CROUS university residences

CROUS, the regional affiliates of the French national student service agency, manage university residences that can be located on campus or in the city. CROUS residences are by far the least expensive type of housing. However, this type of housing is relatively limited and priority is given to recipients of French government scholarships. Some educational institutions also reserve rooms for international students enrolled in the second year of a masters program or in a doctoral program.


Housing provided by grandes écoles and private educational institutions

Grandes écoles and private educational institutions often have student housing that they manage themselves on their own campuses. If you plan to study at one of these educational institutions, visit its website for more information and reserve your room as soon as you receive confirmation of your acceptance.


Private student residences

They are more expensive than CROUS residences but offer a greater degree of comfort. The internet portal of the Association pour le développement économique du logement étudiant (ADELE), provides access to the websites of many private residences. You can also visit the websites of the following residences, which operate in many cities:

*Résidences Lamy
*Résidences Estudines
*Résidences Lauréades
*Office de Services Etudiants (OSE)
*Association Fac-Habitat


Renting private sector housing

Housing is rented either directly from a private individual or through professional real estate agencies. In general it will be difficult, if not impossible, to find this type of housing before you get to France unless you already have a local contact. Once you have arrived, however, you can get help from your educational institution’s housing office or the offices serving international students that exist in many university towns. To find private rental offers, you can visit the following websites: * Housing offered directly by private individuals : www.pap.fr ; www.entreparticuliers.com
* Housing offered through professional agencies : www.fnaim.fr
* Housing offered through professional agencies and by private individuals : www.paruvendu.fr ; www.petites-annonces.fr ; www.seloger.com

You will also be able to find housing ads that individuals have listed with your educational institution, the city's office for international students or CROUS.


Sharing housing

This option is often more economical than an individual rental and has the advantage of facilitating socializing with French or international students. Co-tenants can receive financial assistance, provided that their names appear on the lease. You can find housing listings on the following websites : www.colocation.fr ; www.easycoloc.com ; www.kel-koloc.com


Living with a host family

Best suited to short stays, with this option the student rents a furnished room in someone’s home. Generally speaking, French language training organizations can, at the request of the enrolling student, reserve this type of housing in advance with a selected family. You can also use specialized agencies to put you in contact with host families, e.g.: www.sejoursfrancefamille.fr


Temporary housing

CROUS university residences sometimes have rooms available during the summer months: check with the CROUS office for your city of destination. Likewise, private student residences allow short stays, but there is little availability as from September 1. If you intend to take a French course before starting the academic year, bear in mind that nearly all language training organizations have a housing service that will be able to offer various housing options during your language course.

Once you are in the area where you will be studying, you can get help with finding longer-term housing, either through your educational institution's housing service or the office assisting international students ; they can provide you with listings for private rental offers and personalized information and advice.


Financial housing assistance

Foreign students who rent housing have the same right to financial assistance as French students: the Aide Personnalisée au logement(APL) and Allocation de Logement à caractère social (ALS), often referred to as ALS and APL, depending on the type of housing. Payments are made by local family assistance funds : Caisse d’Allocations Familiales (CAF). 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.