Finding somewhere to live is an essential step in the organization of your mobility. Apart from anything else, it’s one of the conditions for obtaining your visa.
Looking for accommodation, above all at the start of the academic year, can be a lengthy, difficult process. We advise you not to wait until the last minute to start your search.
There are plenty of housing possibilities in Lorraine. But if your stay’s going to be a short one (between 6 and 12 months) we recommend that you opt for “all included” accommodation such as a furnished flat or CROUS university residence (Cité U), which requires fewer moving-in formalities.
In France, before you move into your accommodation, you have to sign a rental agreement (also called “bail”).
In general, rent is paid at the beginning of each month. As proof of payment, you can ask your lessor for a receipt, known as a “quittance de loyer“.
If your arrival in France is delayed, for example because of a problem in obtaining your visa, you will not be exempt from paying the rent from the date of entry into your accommodation as indicated in the rental agreement you have signed. In all cases, please inform your landlord or the organism that manages your accommodation that your arrival has been postponed.
Find your
ACCOMMODATION
Cités U (CROUS)
In France, management of “Cité U” student residences is not directly attached to the universities themselves, but is one of the responsibilites of the CROUS (Centre Régional des Œuvres Universitaires et Scolaires / Regional Center for Student Affairs), whose services aim to improve students’ living conditions (catering, student grants and jobs, cultural activities, etc.). Such accommodation is located near university campuses and is an ideal solution for students on small budgets.
The CROUS provides basic or renovated 9- to 15-m² rooms. At minimum, they’re equipped with a sink, a cupboard, a desk, one or two chairs, and a single bed with mattress, blanket and pillow. Blankets and pillows are sometimes also provided, but you should always check with your residence before your arrival that this is the case. If not, ask if you can hire a blanket and pillow.
Find out about CROUS-Lorraine’s accommodation and practical information
Requesting accommodation in a Cité U (CROUS)
In order to obtain accommodation at a Cité U, you must make a request on the Internet.
Follow the calendar and the procedure corresponding to your status (exchange program student or in individual mobility):
Students in exchange programs
Université de Lorraine facilitates your request for accommodation in a university residence, thanks to a partnership with CROUS Lorraine. Find out about this procedure here
Students in individual mobility and PhD students
Université de Lorraine assists you in your request for accommodation. Find all the information here
Student residences
Open to all students, apartments in student residences can be rented at any time of the year, sometimes even for short durations.
Apartments are aleady equipped and furnished, ready to move into. They each have a bathroom, a small equipped kitchen and a main living area with bed, desk, etc.
What makes them different from Cité U residences are the services provided in addition to accommodation. Some of them are included in the rent, such as access to a gym and the Internet, others are optional and for a fee, such as car park and apartment cleaning.
Last but not least, student residences are usually located near Université de Lorraine’s main campuses.
With Studapart, Université de Lorraine makes an online housing offer platform in French, English, Chinese and Spanish available to students. Studapart includes studio apartments, apartment shares, rooms in local inhabitants’ homes, etc. on offer by private lessors, real-estate agencies and student residences for durations of 1 to 24 months and near campuses in many cities.
With Studapart, enjoy personalized assistance throughout your search, from rental file to reservation of your accommodation. You’ll also benefit from services after you’ve made your reservation, including housing insurance.
⚡ Accommodation exclusively on offer to Université de Lorraine students
💸 Verified ads and secure payment
🤝 Simplified rental file & 100% online procedures
To get started, click on the tenant space and create an account on our platform!
You don’t have a guarantor residing in France?
Thanks to the Studapart guarantee, the platform will act as your guarantor throughout the rental period. To be eligible, all you need to do is submit your ID document and proof of admission to the platform.
A multilingual team is waiting for you at: booking@studapart.com
Studapart webinars
You are looking for accommodation but are lost in an ocean of offers and feel alone with lots of questions without answers. Studapart webinars are made for you!
During these webinars, the Studapart team will explain how to use the platform and answer all your questions concerning accommodation.
Here is the calendar for the upcoming Studapart accommodation search webinars, register now! :
- June 19th at 1pm (Paris time)
- July 3rd at 1pm (Paris time)
- July 24th at 1pm (Paris time)
- August 21st at 1pm (Paris time)
OTHER ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Other housing solutions exist in the public and private sectors alike.
HLM Accommodation
HLM (Housing at Moderate Rent) accommodation has the advantage of providing often larger-than-average habitable surface areas at affordable rates. Such apartments aren’t furnished.
Rental of accommodation from a private lessor or a real-estate agent
If you find accommodation on offer from a private lessor, you can deal directly with them as regards visits and signature of the rental agreement. The owner is free to set the rental price and conditions. If you use a real-estate agent to find accommodation, you’ll have to pay a commission known as “frais d’agence” (agency fee) in addition. Such fees usually correspond to a month’s rent without charges.
Apartment share
It’s sometimes easier to find large apartmernts to share with friends or other students. Be careful though, as signature of this type of agreement engages the responsibility of co-tenants: the names of all co-tenants must appear on the contract and all co-tenants must sign it.
Hostels
- For students and young people: these are accommodation facilities with rents between those for rooms in a CROUS Cité U and those for private student residences.
- For young workers (FJTs), where young people between the ages of 16 and 30 live: such hostels also accept students if they have any rooms free. They provide furnished and unfurnished accommodation along with common areas (e.g. restaurant, laundrette, computer room, library).
Alternatives
- Intergenerational accommodation : intergenerational apartment sharing is an arrangement between a senior citizen and a young person. Large university metropolitan areas are very much involved in this phenomenon, which aims to reduce loneliness among the elderly and enable young people to find low-cost accommodation.
- Short-term accommodation solutions: from 1 day to a few weeks or months, while waiting for permanent accommodation (hotels and aparthotels, youth hostels, etc.)
HERE’S AN OVERVIEW OF THE OFFER IN Lorraine
“Multirisk housing” insurance
You must provide your housing manager or lessor with a multirisk housing insurance certificate before you move into your accommodation. Such insurance covers risks of fire, water damage, theft, etc.
Student mutual insurance companies and banks offer this type of insurance.
The security deposit or “guarantee”
The security deposit is a sum paid to the landlord before you move in, to cover any damage to the property. When you leave your accommodation, this deposit may be totally refunded if you have not caused any damage, otherwise it will be refunded only in part, or not at all, depending on the estimated cost of repair work. The security deposit usually corresponds to 1 month’s rent.
Important: Do not close your bank account in France on the day you leave as any eventual reimbursement of your security deposit may take place up to a month after you return the keys to the owner or manager of your accommodation.
Need help with your security deposit?
Pay the security deposit required by your landlord immediately with the LOCA-PASS loan, and then refund it in several payments over a maximum period of 25 months. The maximum amount the advance can cover is €1,200.
The Guarantor
In France, anyone wishing to rent accommodation must have a guarantor residing in France, regardless of nationality. This is a form of insurance for the owner in case of unpaid rent.
The guarantor must provide his/her:
- last tax assessment or last 3 payslips and employment contract in France
- proof of identity (ID or passport) + residence permit (if of non-EU nationality)
- a proof of address
If you don’t know anyone who can act as your guarantor, there are other solutions:
- If you are accommodated in a university hall of residence (CROUS), your laboratory or training component may act as your guarantor. Please note: this is not automatic but depends on the agreement of your host training department or laboratory. To find out more, contact: the International Relations department of your host training component or laboratory.
- Visale:
- free national system
- is usually accepted by student residences but if you rent an apartment from a private owner, they’re free to accept or refuse this type of guarantee
- you must be under 31 years old and have a long-stay visa.
- If you reserve accommodation via our partner platform Studapart, you can also request it to act as your guarantor. Such a guarantee will cost you a percentage of your montly rent.
- Private systems for a fee with no age conditions: GarantMe, Luko, Cautioneo, SmartGarant
Need help with your security deposit?
Pay the security deposit required by your landlord immediately with the LOCA-PASS loan, and refund it in monthly payments up to a maximum period of 25 months. The maximum amount the advance can cover is €1,200.
Housing Assistance (APL and ALS)
Even if you aren’t a scholarship holder, you can still be eligible for personalized housing assistance (APL) or the social housing allowance (ALS). These two forms of housing assistance are granted by the Family Allowances Fund (CAF) depending on social resources (income, family situation, type of accommodation, etc.).
It cannot be granted in addition to parental family allowances for children under 20 years of age. Students who wish to benefit from housing assistance are no longer considered as their parents’ dependents in order to be entitled to family allowances.
With “DOSSIER FACILE”, create a substantive rental file and find the accommodation of your dreams
DossierFacile helps you create a top-quality digital rental file ensuring that you obtain the best possible results. Create a substantive rental file and find the accommodation of your dreams
To go further
Consult the official Campus France webiste.
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