Security Deposit

When you wish to move into a property, you will be required to pay a security deposit. The deposit acts as a type of insurance for the landlord; if any damage is caused to the property during your tenancy, or bills are not paid, your landlord will keep the security deposit as compensation. The deposit must be paid by cheque or by bank transfer when you first move into the property, and so during the first month you will need to pay rent and the security deposit. Legally, the deposit should be the equivalent of one month's basic rent, that is, the rent not including service charges.

The security deposit will be returned to you at the end of the tenancy, providing that you have left the apartment in the same state in which you found it; the landlord can take up to two months to return the deposit. If the landlord considers that the property is not in a reasonable state they can keep the deposit, or return only part of it. It is very important to do an 'état des lieux' before you move in: an inventory and report on the state of the property when it is rented to you. In order to compile the inventory, you will need to visit the apartment with the landlord and make a note of any damage. This ensures that there can be no debate regarding damages at the end of your tenancy, and avoids you taking responsibility for damage already present in the property.

Financial help with accommodation

Moving in to a new property can be expensive, especially during the first few months when there are a lot of additional costs to cover. There are some organisations that can help you with these costs, by giving you a loan to cover the deposit for example:

• The best known of these organisations is '1% accommodation', which offers the AVANCE LOCA-PASS. This is an interest-free loan that you must only start to repay three months after moving in, over a maximum of thirty-six months.
  
  
• 1% accommodation can also act as a guarantor for you if you do not have one. In that case, the organisation commits itself to pay up to eighteen outstanding rents over the first three years of the tenancy.

You can apply for these services by filling in an application form, available on the company's website: locapass.fr. For more details see Housing Benefits.