Housing
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
As it is not easy for an international student to rent accommodation in France, as most property direct from real estate agencies and landlords require a French guarantor, EDHEC ISO works in close collaboration with local housing actors so that you do not need a French guarantor in order to secure accommodation.
Different options are available in Lille & in Nice, including student residences, studio appartments and flat shares.
DEPOSIT
To rent an accommodation in France, you must pay a deposit before moving in - usually equivalent to one month's rent (two months maximum). This deposit will be kept by the landlord during your rental period and part of it may be used in case of any damage to the property, noted during the check-out inventory.
According to the French law, the owner has up to two months maximum to give the deposit back to the student.
HOME INSURANCE
The day you get your key and move in, you must have a copy of home insurance contract to hand.
The insurance company has to be French. The basic coverage includes water damages and fire. You can choose a coverage including more options. It is possible to apply online before your arrival through ADH
Policy number 3 & the option “bureautique” is recommended if you wish to cover your laptop.
CHECK-IN APPOINTMENT
As soon as your booking is confirmed, you have to organize a check-in appointment with the student residence manager or landlord.
The day you get the key, you do a check-in inventory with the landlord or residence manager in order to report existing defects in the property (e.g. marks on the wall, broken tiles, heater out of order and leaks).
After the check-in inventory, you still have 7 days to notify the landlord of any further defects that had not been noted in the inventory.
NOTICE OF DEPARTURE / CHECK-OUT APPOINTMENT
You have to notify the landlord about your departure date at least a month before leaving. This notice has to be sent by registered mail.
A check-out appointment has to be organized on the very last day of your stay to return the key.
During this check-out appointment the landlord compares the state of the accommodation with the check-in inventory document.
TIPS AND GUIDANCE ABOUT YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN FRANCE
- The rent has to be paid between the 1st and the 5th of each month
- The deposit cannot be used to pay the last month rent
- If you break an item or an equipment in the accommodation, try to replace it
- Be sensible regarding electricity and water (e.g. no heating on if the window is open, turn the light off when you leave the room)
- If you live in a student residence or a private flat, make sure you ask the landlord which day the garbage is collected
WARNING
When booking an accommodation online by yourself:
- NEVER SEND CASH MONEY orders to book your accommodation. This mean of payment is not secure and is used in fraudulent ads - fake landlords and offers. We recommend you to transfer money to the landlord’s bank account to confirm your booking.
- PAY ATTENTION TO THE DATE the offer was published to avoid out-of-date ads.
- Be aware: if you book your accommodation through websites such as Airbnb, you have to make sure the landlord provides you with AN OFFICIAL HOUSING PROOF, otherwise:
- your visa will not be validated by the Immigration Office
- you will not be able to open a French bank account
- consequently, you will not be eligible for housing benefits
HOUSING BENEFITS - CAF
Students in France can apply for housing benefits provided by CAF, a French Government institution.
These benefits are calculated according to many criteria, such as your income, the condition of housing and the monthly rent.
You can only apply once you have moved into your flat. The application can be done online www.caf.fr.
If you have already worked in France, you must declare it to the CAF.
- European students can apply for the house benefits with an ID card or a passport
- Non-European students who still have not validated their visa with the OFII office, can send their application file to CAF and update it later on by sending a copy of their OFII stamp. They will be required to provide a birth certificate translated into French by a sworn translator.
- Non-European students exempted from having a “Resident Permit” will not be allowed to apply for the housing benefits. This exemption is mentioned on the French visa.
- There is usually a one month delay to get the benefits, please note it can take longer. For example, if you send your completed application in September, in theory, you will get the first allowance in October.
To get benefits until the end of your stay, you must pay your rent until the very last day of the month.
The EDHEC ISO does not know the amount you can get or how CAF calculates it. We advise everyone to apply, but please bear in mind that not everybody is eligible- it remains CAF's decision if you are eligible for the housing benefits or not.
It takes some time to the CAF to process applications and each case is unique. Even if you don't get your benefits straight away, don't worry as they are retroactive. CAF considers the day you move into your accommodation as the starting date for the benefits.
HOW TO APPLY - FIRST STEPS
In English
If you rent a private accommodation
If you rent a studio in a student residence
If you rent a room in a CROUS student residence
In Spanish
If you rent a private accommodation
If you rent a studio in a student residence
If you rent a studio in a CROUS student residence
In Chinese
If you rent a private accommodation
TAXES
HOUSING TAX
The local residence tax called “taxe d’habitation” is a yearly government tax anyone occupying a flat on the 1st of January has to pay. The amount to be paid corresponds to approximately one month's rent. You will usually receive a notice of payment for this tax in November e.g. If you rent a flat from August in your first year, you will have to pay the housing tax in November of your second year. As long as you are renting and it covers January 1st, you will have to pay the tax.
WASTE DISPOSAL TAX
This tax has to be paid to the council once a year as they organize waste collection and disposal once a week.
It is calculated on a pro-rata basis according to the length of your stay (for example: if you stay nine months in your accommodation, you will only pay 9/12 of the tax).
If you live in a student residence, you will be charged before your departure by the real estate agency, who will pay the council on your behalf.
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING CONTRIBUTION
This tax is applied if you are required to pay the housing tax AND if there is a television, or any similar broadcasting device in your accommodation.
More information about taxes here
See Also
About EDHEC
Operating from campuses in Lille, Nice, Paris, London and Singapore, EDHEC is one of the top 15 European business schools. Fully international and directly connected to the business world, EDHEC is a school for business, rather than a business school, where excellence in teaching and research focuses on innovation to stimulate entrepreneurship and creativity. EDHEC functions as a genuine laboratory of ideas and produces innovative solutions valued by businesses. The School’s teaching philosophy, inspired by its award-winning research activities, focuses on “learning by doing”.
