FRANCE | Accommodation | Finding accommodation

General (student) housing situation

In France, most students live with their parents or in Halls of Residence. The cost of accommodation can be quite high especially in the city. You need to find out the prices to prepare your budget. The housing market situation differs from city to city, but in general, there are not many apartments available for rent. Taking all the administrative requirements into account, it would, however, be better to rent a room in a household or from an individual, which provides a family atmosphere and enables you to get a better understanding of the French way of life. In addition, the costs of such housing are generally cheaper. In a flat share, there can be furnished or unfurnished rooms. There, you will have to adjust to the habits of the other inhabitants. Such an experience can be enriching and can broaden your horizon. The costs for one room in the city can vary from 300€-600€/month with additional 150€-200€/month for heating, hot water, and electricity.

Before you start looking for an accommodation, you should ask yourself a few questions:

• Would I prefer to live on my own or share accommodation with others?
• What is my budget?
• Do I already have a preferred area where I would like to live?

Types of accommodation

• Living on your own
• Flat share (room) with other students or a family
• Student hostel
• University halls of residence: A popular and attractive option for accommodation; for example, you can search via France’s regional centers for student services (CROUS)

Finding accommodation 

First, ask your internship company to help you. Especially if they are used to having trainees, they will be prepared to help you. There might be trainees leaving when you arrive so that you can take over a room. Sometimes, they can send you a list of addresses to help you search for accommodation. This list may contain addresses of university institutions, private contacts, or phone numbers of real estate agencies. Also, try to get in contact with other trainees that were or are at the company to share their experience of how to find accommodation. 
Moreover, you can try the following possibilities in advance:

• University housing offices and student associations
• Housing advertisement on the internet
• Real estate agencies or search engines on the internet

Search on the spot

After arriving in France, you can stay in temporary accommodation and continue your search on the spot. You find advertisements on available housing on display boards in universities, on classifieds boards in supermarkets, and in the local press or in specialised magazines.

Another option is the local council department looking after housing. This section can be found within the local council department at the town hall and can assist you in establishing contact with private individuals who let out a room in their apartment or house (f.ex. after their children have left). Depending on your request, the division can also provide you with contact details of student hostels or residence halls meant for young people between 16 to 25 years of age.

The department of students CROUS maintains a large number of rooms and studios that are only meant for students enrolled at a French university. It can however provide you with some free information and might give you lists of available accommodation even if you are not a French student. If you have an university network in your own country, try to contact the French partner institutions in advance or the student associations to ask for addresses of residential accommodation that do not require your enrolment in a French university.

Real estate agencies

You can search for rental offers on their internet sites or contact them directly to get a list of available accommodation. The agencies take payment for their services called "courtage" (brokerage) and they organise the visits and negotiate the lease agreements.

Once you have found suitable accommodation that meets your needs and preferences, you should consider the following:

• Is the accommodation secure? (Check the locks on doors and windows)
• Is the accommodation multicultural?
• Is the accommodation located near you place of work?
• What is the public transport like?
• What equipment is available in the accommodation (furniture, appliances), and is everything working?
• What type of heating is it, and is there an extra charge for it?
• Are there extra charges for electricity and water?
• Do I have any allergies, for example to animals?