Why is it complicated to book a room months before your arrival in France?

How does the rental market work for students in France? Understand the challenge of renting accommodation several months in advance and all our tips for securing your housing ✨

The rental market in France

  

Landlords, wishing to lose as little income as possible, will choose students ready to rent their property at the availability date or, at most, a few days after the availability date. This is primarily why it is very difficult to rent a property months in advance.

If you're looking for accommodation for the upcoming academic year, set an alarm with this form, and we will get back to you at the right time to assist you! 

The summer period in France and the September back-to-school season

 

It's also important to know that in July/August, a very large number of students arrive in university towns and are looking for accommodation for the September start of term.

A majority of housing on the market becomes available from the end of May.

A majority of students want to rent accommodation for September.

 

Tenants who agree to book the earliest will be the first accepted. 

Our tips for getting your reservation accepted 

You have 2 options to find your accommodation in France. 

The first step is to start your search around a month before your estimated arrival date to find and rent the accommodation you want. Indeed, landlords know 1 month in advance when their property will be available.

Example: I want accommodation for the end of August, so I start my search at the beginning of August. My rental contract will start in mid-August.

The second option is to start your search several months before your estimated arrival date to find and rent the accommodation you want. However, the start date of your lease contract will need to be earlier than your arrival date.

Example: I am looking for accommodation for the end of August, so I start my search at the beginning of June. My rental contract will begin in July.

We strongly recommend opting for the second option! Indeed, as explained earlier, with demand exceeding supply, it's possible that by August, there may be no more available accommodation.

 
BONUS if you need to apply for a VISA

If you are an international student and you absolutely need accommodation for your visa application, know that LivinFrance offers accommodation and support attestations to assist you in this process. This allows you to avoid committing large sums abroad and, most importantly, to secure accommodation as soon as your visa application is accepted!

 

Join us on LivinFrance, a unique platform and 100% dedicated to international student. ❤️