Housing, renting and student life in France

From dorms and Studapart to guarantors, deposits and home insurance

1. Types of accommodation

For the student visa you need a specific place to live from the first day of classes. Main options:

Public student dormitories (CROUS)

Dorms and bookings via Studapart or the university's own site

Renting an apartment from a private landlord

Temporary accommodation (Résidence étudiante, apart-hotel, etc.)

A hotel booking is usually not enough for the visa; an Airbnb booking is only accepted if it has no free cancellation option and covers a suitable period.

2. Guarantor, deposit and insurance

Renting a home in France usually involves three important matters:

Deposit (Caution / Dépôt de garantie)

Usually equal to 1 to 2 months' rent.

Guarantor (Garant)

Can be an individual residing in France, or you can use free/paid services such as

and others.

Home insurance (Assurance habitation)

Getting this insurance is almost mandatory, and without it many landlords won't finalize the contract.

For students, using services like CROUS and Studapart is often the simplest option, since they handle much of the process online and are familiar with universities.