If you have not figured it out already, finding accommodation in France as an international student is not as easy as it sounds. In this post, I will share how I found mine and hopefully, you will find yours too. Good luck!
LivinFrance
If you are actively looking for student housing in France, I highly recommend that you find your accommodation options via LivinFrance. Make this your first choice then thank me later!
When I was still an upcoming student in Lille, I found my accommodation through them and I even met its founder in person.
LivinFrance is an excellent platform with many useful content designed for upcoming international students — from getting the necessary documents for French student visa application to housing certificates, CVEC, and insurance — you can be assured to be guided from start to finish!
In terms of housing options, LivinFrance has an abundance of rooms that you can book across all university cities in France — from Lille to Marseilles. Of course, if you are expecting to be a student in the upcoming semester, you need to book it in a timely fashion as it is also possible that the rooms will be fully booked if you attempt to book at the last minute!
To get started, just create an account and log on to their website (read: I am not affiliated with them). If you manage to find your housing through them, do let them know that I referred you. That would make me happy.
Facebook groups
Aside from LivinFrance, it can also be useful to become a member of Facebook groups designed for students in specific cities in France. I joined a few of them just to have a look and feel of the community and to have an idea of rental prices. To do this, search for pages or groups on Facebook with keywords “student” + “your city in France”.
Your own school
While you are actively searching for accommodation as a student, don’t forget to ask your contact from the school where you registered. It is normal that they provide support or tips on housing for their students.
Sometimes, some schools even have partner agencies where you can directly book a room through your school. This provides convenience at an additional price but I did not personally go with this option as the budget was an important factor in my search.
LebonCoin
If you don’t mind browsing local online classified ads, then I recommend that you look for student accommodation on the Leboncoin website. The only downside of this is that the website and the classified ads are all in the French language: you also have to know some French to deal directly with posters.
One of the advantages is that you might be able to find cheaper options through this method.
FAQs on Student Housing in France
1. What is a security deposit and do I need to pay it?
Yes, it is required to be paid in most cases before you can move in. A security deposit (may also be known as “damage deposit”) is imposed by a landlord from a renter to cover possible damages to the rental property. This deposit is expected to be returned usually two months after the end of the rental contract. A security deposit is not considered as a month of rent.
2. When is the best time to rent a room?
If your studies in a city in France are confirmed, then I recommend that you find and book your room as soon as possible, even if the official start of your semester is still months away. It is possible that rooms run out in certain French cities if you book your room near the start of your schooling.
This blog post is currently being updated. Come back often!
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