Accommodation in France

CROUS

  • CROUS (centres régionaux des œuvres universitaires et scolaires) are regional organizations providing accommodation and student restaurants, among other services

  • On trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr, one can apply for a student residence

  • This guide details the necessary steps

  • However: The application process has two phases, and as an international student, you can (most likely) only apply during the second phase – this makes it unlikely for you to get a place

    • In 2023, no accommodation was available at the start of the second phase

    • Only once, from August 26th–29th, there was one room offered

  • You might have better chances if you contact CROUS Clermont instead of relying on their website

  • It has been tried to reserve CROUS accommodation for IMAPP students, but as of 2023, to no avail

  • Other possibilities are outlined here

Companies

Mediation

  • Studapart

    • ✅ some of us have used this

  • OQORO

    • ✅ some of us have used this

    • French user interface

    • Allows multiple people to apply for a flat together, but everything else is handled separately

    • Slow to respond via e-mail

    • Might call you instead of replying to your e-mails

    • 24h deadline to sign the rental agreement (including the guarantor, if applicable)

    • You'll need to schedule an appointment with a city manager to move in

      • It can be before the rental contract starts (?)

  • Lokaviz

    • A CROUS service that arranges private accommodation

  • Leboncoin

    • General-purpose platform for classified ads

  • Appartager

Commercial providers of student residences

Search engines

Guarantors

  • Visale

    • Free offering by the state of France

    • Might insist on a French certificate of enrollment

      • You probably won't have that until the semester starts!

  • Garantme

    • ✅ some of us have used this

    • Commercial guarantor

    • Roommates can be added to the contract for free

    • The contract is for a year, but if you cancel, you get the money for the remaining months back (minus €70) ¹²

    • Comfortable English user interface

    • Might call you if you don't respond

  • SmartGarant

  • Private guarantors

    • Must live in France!

    • In the past, certain French professors have volunteered to be guarantors for IMAPP students

  • By the rental platform

Insurances

Though some providers might handle this for you, having a home contents insurance (or however you call it) is mandatory in France.

  • Lovys

    • ✅ some of us have used this

    • cooperate with Garantme (1st month free)

Open questions

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