Finding Student Accommodation

If you are a student moving to France, you may not wish to look for the same accommodation as non-students (see Finding Accommodation).For students who have limited resources, there are several accommodation options, the cheapest being accommodation run by national or regional student centres (the CNOUS and the CROUS), commonly known as the 'Cité-U'. Even if your application is not accepted, these organisations can still play an intermediary role between private renters and students to help them find a fair deal.

You can of course look for private accommodation on your own, through an agency or by approaching independent landlords, but this can be quite expensive. Students with a low income will need to provide details of a guarantor who, in case of unpaid rent or service charges, will agree to pay what is owed on behalf of the student.

There are also university halls in France, and other halls called 'Estudines' or 'Lauréades'. These halls offer basic accommodation as well as various useful services, such as a laundry room or canteen, at an affordable rate.

Flat-sharing is another option that is becoming more and more common. In this case, several people share a flat or house, thus benefiting from a fairly large space whilst still paying a reasonable amount of rent. This is an option well suited to students, who tend to be prepared to share accommodation and do not need space for a family.

In some cases students may be able to live with a host family, for example if they are in France to be an 'au pair'. You will usually be matched with a family via an au pair agency; typically you will have your own bedroom but will share the rest of the house with the family.

For an idea of the average student expenditure, see: Cost of Living.