Accommodation
The Accommodation Service is only intended for students enrolled for courses in the Institute's French Department.
The accommodation service gives information and advice about lodging in Paris and provides, where possible, details of landlords in central or near-central Paris who have accommodation to let. It also deals with accommodation as a paying guest in French families.
In exchange for rent or light work, you can expect to find the following:
Private halls of residence
The Institute has an arrangement with two private halls of residence which facilitate the admission of its students by not requiring a French guarantor.
The flats are well laid-out, fully-furnished and costs vary from 650 to 669 (£440 to £450) for a studio .
Applications should be made before the end of April.
The halls of residence are located in Courbevoie and in Montreuil. Visit www.estudines.com/residence-logement-etudiant-courbevoie-13-18.html and www.estudines.com/residence-logement-etudiant-montreuil-13-19.html for further information.
Private hostels for students
Students may rent a single or double room in a private hostel for students. These hostels are administered independently from university authorities. Most of them have a religious tie (Catholic or Protestant) and some are quite strict on entrance and exit times. Please note that most of them are for girls only.
Students will have to share the facilities and have their meals in a refectory (breakfast and dinner are included).
Applications should be made as of March.
Further details can be obtained on www.unme-asso.com [new window]
Private lettings
You must realise that finding accommodation in Paris is not easy - whether for Parisians or for foreign students. One needs to be patient, tenacious and energetic! The accommodation service is in touch with a certain number of landlords (we have in-house at present 80 offers), but it is necessary to consult other organisations having a noticeboard or an accommodation service.
It is also important to recognise that you may need to be flexible when looking for accommodation. Paris is a large city, and the accommodation you will be offered will not necessarily be close to the Institute. However, the Paris urban transport network is comprehensive, fast and reasonably-priced.
It is not possible to send you a list before your arrival as landlords will always want to meet you before agreeing to let a flat, and such a list would be out of date by the time you received it.
You are therefore strongly advised to come to Paris two or three weeks before the start of term to look for accommodation. It is best to reckon on spending at least five or six days (Monday to Friday). Our accommodation secretary can provide a list of cheap short-stay hotels or hostels if you have nowhere to stay while you look for permanent accommodation.
One can sometimes find free accommodation in exchange for hours of childminding (a frequent formula) or for English conversation (less frequent). In a typical case, 10 to 12 hours of childminding a week are exchanged for a room which may be situated in the family flat or on a corridor or floor with independent access (chambres de bonnes or ex-maids' rooms).
- Maid's rooms (independent rooms) are often located on the top floor of an apartment building originally intended for the maids of families living below - 10 to 15 m2. Some have been improved, but you must expect to have the toilets on the landing only. Students frequently resort to this sort of accommodation, as it is still the cheapest: from 300 to 450 (£200 to £300) per month.
- Flat-sharing is becoming less unusual in Paris. Some opportunities of this kind occur through French students of English who contact the Institute to seek mixed-language sharing. A one to three bedroom flat will cost between 600 to 1200 (£400 to £800) per month. For further information, please consult www.colocation.fr or www.appartager.com.
- It is easier to find a single room in a family flat, with access (sometimes under specified conditions) to the bathroom and kitchen, without it amounting to a flat share. This costs from 300 to 450 (£200 to £300) per month. If you like playing loud music or returning home in the middle of the night, you are advised to choose another form of accommodation.
- Studios or flatlets (only for a single student or a couple) can be very hard to find especially in central Paris. They cost between 600 and 1000 (£400 to £670) per month. If you are considering this type of accommodation it would be useful to bring a document from your parents or your bank guaranteeing payment of your rent.
- Paying guests : some families offer a room (sometimes with a private bathroom) as well as breakfast and dinner. Average cost: 620 per month (£420). The student is treated as a member of the family.
Housing Benefit
The French Government grants housing benefit, subject to specific conditions, to all European Union students enrolled in university courses in Paris. The benefit can be worth up to 180 (£120) per month.
