Rent housing and sign a lease

Build your rental file, arrange a guarantor or Visale, and get mandatory home insurance before key handover.

From before arrival through the first weeks

• ID and residence document or visa
• University enrolment certificate or employment contract
• A French guarantor, or a Visale certificate instead
• Home insurance (assurance habitation) certificate before key handover

1. Build your rental file

Gather ID, financial and academic documents per the official list; DossierFacile can certify and digitise the file.

2. Arrange a guarantor or Visale

Without a French guarantor, apply for the free Visale guarantee before arrival; it's usually open to students and people under 30.

3. Review and sign the lease

Check the surface area, duration, deposit and start date; that date also matters for calculating housing aid (APL).

4. Get home insurance before key handover

Assurance habitation is mandatory for tenants; give the landlord the certificate before receiving the keys, and you'll need the address and lease to open your electricity account too.

• A landlord may only request documents on the official list; extras such as a personal photo or bank statements are not allowed.

• Service-Public · Bail d'habitation
• Service-Public · Assurance habitation du locataire
• Service-Public · Caution locative (dont Visale)