Published on: July 03, 2023 | By: @rprasanth_kumar | Last updated on: September 27, 2024
France offers a plethora of student housing options. This article explores these options in detail and explains the dos and don’ts. Personally, I have stayed in a CROUS residence called Cité U’ Fresche Blanc during my 2-year masters at Ecole Centrale de Nantes, in Nantes. For the first year, it was reserved by my college. So, check with your school’s International Office about the various student accommodations in the city.
Follow the same order of options, while searching for an accommodation. It’s very important. If everything goes well, you might stop at option 3. In worst cases, you might go until option 5 and it is the riskiest option prone to common scams.
Table of Contents
- Option 1: CROUS University Residences
- Option 2: Lokaviz
- Option 3: Student and youth hostels run by various associations
- Option 4: Private student residences
- Option 5: Private rentals and colocations (room-sharing)
- Documents required
- Additional things required for collecting the key
- Winter Truce
- Things to avoid
- References
Option 1: CROUS University Residences
In France, most university student residences are managed by the CROUS network. To reserve accommodation in a CROUS-run student residence, international students must go directly to the CROUS online portal.
You can also find all the information and details you need to choose your accommodation in a CROUS residence. You can find all the CROUS residences via this interactive map. You can also check with your future higher education institution to see if specific housing solutions can be offered to you.
Note:
In the following cases, it is not necessary to contact CROUS directly.
- Students on exchange programs or on an Erasmus+ mobility program: it is the responsibility of the host institution to apply for a CROUS accommodation.
- Scholarship holders managed by Campus France: Campus France applies to CROUS for accommodation.
Types of accommodations in a traditional CROUS student residence:
- Traditional 9m² room, furnished with washbasin. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared.
- Renovated 14m² room, furnished with shower, sink, refrigerator and microwave. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared.
- Renovated 10m² room with tri-function cabin, furnished with shower, washbasin, toilet, and refrigerator. Kitchen is shared.
- Renovated room with 14m² three-function cabin, furnished with shower, washbasin, toilet, refrigerator, and microwave. Collective kitchens
- Studios from 15 to 20m², furnished with shower, toilet, washbasin, kitchenette, and refrigerator.
Rent: 200 to 500 euros per month. These residences are eligible for the housing assistance., APL from CAF.
Commonly seen services and facilities:
- Bicycle garage
- Internet / Wifi
- Electricity & Gas (either included in the rent or paid extra)
- Laundry (paid extra)
- Adaptable accommodation
- Parking
- Relaxation room and also to organize student events.
- Work/Study room
- TV room
- Surveillance / Security
- Playroom with baby foot, snooker, etc/
Option 2: Lokaviz
If you cannot find a place in CROUS, this is the next best option. You can check out available housing offers, including those from private individuals, on Lokaviz.fr , The “Lokaviz label” guarantees that students will be housed in quality private residences and avoid any issues.
The residences with the ” Lokaviz label” from CROUS, should satisfy four main criteria:
- Quality, based on regulatory criteria for decent housing and the energy performance of buildings,
- Amount of rent, service charges and any additional services (only for the “Lokaviz +” label),
- Compliance with best practices in terms of landlord-tenant relations,
- Location, considering proximity to higher education establishments, public transport or bicycle travel times, and sports and cultural facilities.
A property with the Lokaviz label can also be awarded the “Lokaviz +” label, depending on the rent charged. If the rent does not exceed by 20 or 30% the average price per m2 for this type of accommodation in the municipality (or equivalent municipality), the accommodation already “Lokaviz labelled” automatically becomes “Lokaviz + labelled”.
A “Lokaviz +” property therefore meets the quality criteria of the Lokaviz label, with the guarantee of a reasonable rent in relation to the market price.
Option 3: Student and youth hostels run by various associations
Students can also find accommodations in various youth hostels run by associations across France.
The following article explains about this option in detail.
temporary accommodation for young ppl (aged 16-30) in France
Option 4: Private student residences
Students can also opt for the rooms in private student residences. These places try to replicate the CROUS residences but are slightly more expensive. They come with so many amenities. N example residence from Toulouse, STUDEA Toulouse Ouest
Option 5: Private rentals and colocations (room-sharing)
Private rentals are the accommodations available to public and they are not exclusive for students. These include home stays, rental agencies, private landlords, colocations, etc. You should be very cautious while renting privately.
Homestays with French families:
Many French families would like to welcome international students for a variety of reasons. Some universities partner with local people and propose this option. It is one of the best options to immerse into the French culture, learn the language, etc. Some organizations offer this service too.
Renting directly with Landlords:
Renting via Private Agencies:
Note: These agencies will charge an application fee (often one month’s rent excluding utilities) for showing you the rental options, organizing visits, entry check, etc.
Collocations:
This option involves sharing an appartement with other students or even the landlord. Often includes separate bedrooms and sharing other facilities. You can find these collocations via the following websites.
Documents required
The documents you’ll usually be asked are,
- Identity document – passport and visa.
- Proof of address: usually the last 3 rent receipts or property tax, if applicable.
- Student identity card or certificate of registration for the academic year
- Internship or work contract if you have a student job
- Last 3 pay slips, if applicable
- Scholarship certificate, if applicable.
- A guarantor
- If renting privately, a landlord can ask the following documents.
Additional things required for collecting the key
Security deposit and first month’s rent.
Housing insurance “assurance habitation”
- Insurance coverage from a bank or insurance company, covering you against water damage, fire, theft, etc.
- Housing insurance is compulsory before you can obtain the keys to your home.
- If you have a bank account, you can take out insurance online with several insurance sites. For example:
Winter Truce
In France, a winter truce applies from 1st November to 31st March of the following year. During this period, a landlord cannot evict a tenant from the accommodation. The eviction is postponed. But the winter truce does not apply in other cases (squatters and expulsion from the marital home based on a court order).
You can find more details including legal references here – When does the winter truce apply?
Things to avoid
- Avoid Airbnb and Hotel bookings for long-stay student visas.
- Never engage with accommodations that provide only an attestation d’hébergement and don’t provide a rental contract. These are illegal rentals and will get you into trouble. Most of these landlords do not return the initial safety deposit.
- Beware of rents that are too low.
- Beware of photos that are too tempting.
- Never send money to a private individual before visiting the property.
- Avoid paying rent in advance
Hope this information is useful in helping you to find your student accommodation.
I have query regarding Accommodation. I have got crous accommodation I paid the deposit amount of 100 euro and got a crous accommodation contract.
So for visa process is Crous contract is enough or I have to show three months paid rent as proof.
Can you please help me out. Thanks in Advance.
Hello,
You can submit the CROUS contrat and the deposit payment receipt.
Hey Prasanth,
Great article and quite informative!
I have a question and wondering if you might have come across such case already.
I stay in France already and i am planning to host my younger brother who is arriving in France, same city for his studies. (Long stay visa>90days).
Do I need to get a attestation d’accueil from town hall? I remember, i didn’t need it when I invited my mother to stay with me on long stay visitor visa. I just provided all my details along with the cover letter.
Does it work the same way for all the long stay visas including student visa?
Thank you for your response in advance.
P.s.- I’m checking with authorities as well.
Regards,
Ali
Hello,
The attestation d’accueil is used only for short-stay visitor visa.
Please refer to, VFS Checklist: Documents for French Student Visa application https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/06/vfs-checklist-documents-for-french-student-visa/
Update: The start of 2nd phase has been postponed from 9th July to 15th July 2024. International students allowed to apply for CROUS residences during this 2nd phase.
Hello Prashanth garu,
I have a query regarding accommodation. I got admission in NEOMA Business School for January 2025 intake. I completed Campus France process and received NOC yesterday (Oct 15th, 2024). I’m yet to start my Visa process after arranging required documents.
NEOMA Business School’s official housing campaign will start from Nov 4th and ends on Nov 10th, if anyone wants to take university student residence crous accommodation, they have to book during this timeline as mentioned in the mail. But my course starts on January 6th, 2025.
If I wait until Nov 4th and book the university accommodation, I have to wait until they accept my allotment and confirm the decision which would go around mid of November. I’m worried that it would get delayed for my visa process. In other way, if I would choose private accommodation other than university, I’m worried about the visa rejections would happen, as I heard that university accommodation would be strong for visa application.
Btw, when would be the worst time for me to apply for visa or can you please suggest me what to do in my situation in order to not to get delayed for visa?
Can you please help me with this query!!!!
Hello Spandana, For the accommodation part, an attestation from your college works too. Since NEOMA is a reputed college, I don’t see any problem about it.
Regarding the docs required including accommodation, please refer to https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/06/vfs-checklist-documents-for-french-student-visa/
If required, you can also wait till Nov4th & get a confirmed accommodation.
Just take an VFS appointment around 10-15th Nov, so there will be sufficient time for the visa processing.
Hi Prasanth garu,
I have booked private rental accommodation from the website called – University Living and already paid the following fees:
Guarantor fee: 41.6€ (with Garantme) – received a certificate for it
Booking fee: 11,000 INR
Service fee + December month rent in advance: 320€+400€ = 720€
Deposit: 415€
Location: 13, Rue Parmentier, Rouen, France – 76100
We are a group of 4 friends booked this flatshare type in Apartment. Is this a valid one to submit in Visa? Does this have any complications and leads to Visa rejections?
Hello,
Please ask these type of questions in https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/08/indian-students-group-bachelors-masters-and-phd/
Hello Prashanth garu,
Option 5: Private rentals and colocations (room-sharing)
You informed in the article that, we have to be careful while taking from this. As I’m not aware of it before, I have already taken rental contract from the landlord.
Me and 3 of my friends, have booked the accommodation in the same apartment as flat-share and received the rental contract (lease) from them. But, the lease contains 4 of our names in the same document and they haven’t provided us the individual contract seperately on each of our names. We already paid the advance rent amount of December month, deposit fee, guarantor fee and also the other charges during the process. Till now, we haven’t recieved the original owner contact number/email id. They just mentioned the Name and place of the birth regarding landlord details.
As I heard that, it might be risky in terms of Visa, please inform us what can be done in this case?
And also, do we have to provide the payment receipts of all the above mentioned one in Visa? Along with the rental contract and guarantor certificate?
Last one – While filling Long Stay Visa Application form, there’s a column to fill details of our accommodation.. do we have to provide the owner contact details there? along with the address…
Location of our accommodation: 13, Rue Parmentier, Rouen, France – 76100
Hello Spandana,
As long as it proper colocation type rental contract with atleast 11-12m2 per person, it’s ok.
Providing proof of payments adds more credibility.
Yes, you must provide details of the accommodation.
All these questions have already been answered 100s of times in the students group https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/08/indian-students-group-bachelors-masters-and-phd/
Please ask your questions there.