Have you been accepted to university or school? Now it's time to look for accommodation! Here are some tips and advice on finding accommodation, as well as information on legislation, your rights and your duties. Find out about possible financial aid. Finally, in the event of a dispute with your landlord, there are organizations to advise and support you.
Visit rent a small apartment (studio or T1) is included between €300 and €500.
To evaluate your budget by listing all your income and expenses without forgetting any, you can :
- use the Evaluating your budget" practical guide on jeunes-bfc.fr
- use the budget calculator of the www.lafinancepourtous.com
Use a visit form which lists the most important points to look for in each home we visit.
- Consult classified ad sites to rent to a individual.
- Go through a real estate agency. They have advertisements, organize visits, draw up the lease, carry out the inventory of fixtures... In return, they charge agency fees (equivalent to about 1 month's rent).
Good plan: 3 agencies Lamy (formerly Nexity), Plaza immobilier and Sogeprim offer discounts to Avantages Jeunes card
The owner makes part of its home available free of charge (usually one room) in exchange for a few services (childcare, DIY, pet-sitting, housework, shopping, homework help, etc.).
Please note: this type of accommodation is not regulated by law.
To avoid any conflict, it is advisable to draw up a written agreement on the conditions of the exchange: tasks to be carried out by the guest, number of working hours (less than 15 hours per week, beyond which an employment contract will be required), start and end of the exchange, nature of the services, rules of life, etc.
Find ads : www.toitchezmoi.com
Some residences house students with the aim of creating links with the elderly in exchange for a low rent.
There are two residences in Besançon:
Autonomy Residence Les Hortensias
Intergenerational residence Noël RONCET managed by Habitat et humanisme Doubs
The first step is to create your Student Social File (see the stages) on www.messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr before May 31st.
When completing the application form, you must tick the "I am applying for accommodation" box.
The next step is to apply for housing and specify your wishes on trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr in May.
You will receive a response during the main award phase (in May and June). Priority is given to scholarship students. This phase is not open to international students.
Didn't get a home during the main allocation phase?
Didn't submit your application on time?
Are you a foreign student?You can participate in the complementary allocation phase from the beginning of July on trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr
It is open to all students, even those who have not completed a Student Social File.
- www.crous-bfc.fr
- www.etudiant.gouv.fr
- Crous accommodation centre : pole-hebergement-besancon@crous-bfc.frtel 03 81 48 47 47
YesYou can participate in the complementary allocation phase and reserve a home from among those still available at trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr from early July. This phase is open to all studentsFrench and foreign students. You do not need to have created your student social file.
Yes. Visit scholarship students are priority but the other students can also benefit. Visit housing is allocated on the basis of social criteria. The criteria taken into account are the income of the student and his/her parents, the composition of the family and the geographical distance from the family home.
There are private student residences. You will find a list for the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region at www.jeunes-bfc.fr
Visit Habitat jeunes residences welcome all young people aged 16 to 30. Although students are not given priority, some are accommodated.
In Besançon, there are two Habitat jeunes residences: La Cassotte and The Birds
Loge.Gbm is an organization that manages social housing in Besançon. They have three residences especially for students : www.logegbm.fr
Outside these three residences, apartments may be allocated to students, but they do not have priority.
Visit Crous university residences can accommodate students for a few days or a few weeks :
- from 1 night to 1 month : www.bedandcrous.com
- for more than one month : trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr
Other residences offer short-term accommodation on a space-available basis:
- Habitat jeunes les Oiseaux48 rue des Cras, tel 03 81 40 32 00, contact@hajlesoiseaux.fr
- Habitat jeunes La Cassotte18 rue de la Cassotte, tel 03 81 51 98 60, contact@fjt-lacassotte.com
- Center International de séjour Ethic Etape, 3 avenue des Montboucons, tel 03 81 50 07 54, ethicetapes@cis-besancon.fr
Yes. The lease sets out the rights and obligations of the landlord and tenant, and is binding on both parties.. It must contain a certain amount of information (description of the property, surface area, amount of rent, amount of security deposit....) and documents must also be attached (inventory of fixtures, tenant's insurance certificate, technical diagnosis, etc.).
The tenant has obligations. It must :
- Paying rent and utilities;
- Respect the intended use of the property (e.g., not as business premises);
- Do not carry out any work without the owner's agreement;
- Responding to damage;
- Allowing access to housing for work ;
- Take care of routine home maintenance.
Visit security deposit is a amount of money paid to the owner (or a real estate agency) when you sign the lease. This sum is used to cover any defaults by the tenant on departure (unpaid rent, damage noted).
The amount of the security deposit may not exceed 1 month's rent without charges for empty accommodation, or 2 months' rent without charges for furnished accommodation.
The security deposit will be returned to you when you move out.
Visit security deposit is a written undertaking by a guarantor or guarantor's organization (also known as a guarantor) for you if you fail to meet your obligations to the owner of the property. For example, if you don't pay your rent, the guarantor will have to pay for you.
Yes, if requested by the owner. Its amount must not exceed one month's rent without charges for empty accommodation, and two months' rent for furnished accommodation.
If you are having difficulty paying your security deposit, apply for the Loca-pass advance: www.jeunes-bfc.fr
Yes. The state of affairs allows you to compare the condition of your home between the time you enter it and the time you leave it. It makes it possible to know who has to pay for any work, and avoids disputes. It protects both tenant and landlord.
In addition to the rent you must pay expenses (expenses) related to housing. They are different from one home to another. They may include water, elevator, collective heating, taxes for household waste, maintenance of collective parts of the building, etc.
Generally, rental charges are paid monthly at the same time as the rent (an adjustment is made once a year to bring payments into line with actual expenses).
Please note: you need to be careful about what is and isn't included in the service charges, which vary from one property to another (heating, gas, etc.).
Visit minor repairs and theroutine home maintenance (rental repairs) are at the tenant's expense (boiler maintenance, replacing a light switch or bulb, splicing paint or wallpaper, changing smoke detector batteries, etc.).
Visit owner to the responsibility of major repairs (boiler replacement, roof repairs, etc.).
No. Accommodation provided to a tenant must be decent.
Decent housing is defined by law and meets 5 criteria: minimum surface area and energy performance, absence of risk to the tenant's health and safety, absence of pests and parasites, availability of certain equipment.
You must give your notice (also known as a advance notice) to your landlord or estate agent by one of the following means :
- Registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt ;
- Deed of commissioner of justice (formerly bailiff's deed) ;
- Hand-delivered against signature or receipt.
To write your letter, you can use the template on the www.service-public.fr.
Visit Adil (Agences départementales d'information sur le logement) offer free housing advice on housing law. You can make an appointment with a legal expert for a meeting on site or by telephone: maisonhabitatdoubs.rdv.date
Adil 25
Maison de l'habitat du Doubs
1 chemin de Ronde du Fort Griffon - Entrance D
25000 Besançon
03 81 68 37 68
www.maisonhabitatdoubs.fr
Yesthe Caf provides assistance to help you pay your rent: theAPL (personalized housing assistance), theALF (family housing allowance) orALS (social housing allowance). They are awarded on the basis of certain criteria: renting a decent housingThe lease must be in the name of the applicant, and the tenant must not be directly related to the owner.
The amount of aid is calculated according to :
- of the rent (excluding utilities),
- of your resources,
- your family situation.
You can apply online at www.caf.fr
You can estimate the amount of assistance by making a simulation.
Visit Adil (Agences départementales d'information sur le logement) offer free housing advice on housing law. You can make an appointment with a legal expert for a meeting on site or by telephone: maisonhabitatdoubs.rdv.date
Adil 25
Maison de l'habitat du Doubs
1 chemin de Ronde du Fort Griffon - Entrance D
25000 Besançon
03 81 68 37 68
www.maisonhabitatdoubs.fr
If no one else can act as guarantor for you, Action Logement can. This is called Visale guarantee.
This guarantee covers unpaid rent and service charges (as well as damage to the property) for the duration of the rental. Action Logement will advance the sums due to the landlord, and you will then repay this advance in monthly instalments.
The Visale guarantee is aimed at young people aged 18 to 30 (including students) and employees over 30 :
- hired for less than 6 months (unless on a permanent contract),
- or earning up to €1,500 net per month,
- or professional mobility,
- or with a promise of employment less than 3 months old.
To find out if you are eligible for this assistance, please contact us. Visale eligibility test.
Attention You must apply for a visa before signing your lease.
Action Logement offers assistance to finance the security deposit required by your landlord when you move into your new home: Loca-Pass advance. It's an interest-free loan of up to €1,200, to be repaid in no more than 25 months (minimum €20 per month).
Conditions for the Loca-Pass advance
- be an employee of a non-agricultural private-sector company (regardless of age),
- or be under 30 years of age and :
- be undergoing vocational training (apprenticeship or professionalization contract),
- or be unemployed,
- or be a student employee and provide proof of :
- a fixed-term contract (CDD) of at least three months in force at the time of application,
- or one or more fixed-term contracts for a total of at least three months in the six months preceding the application for assistance,
- or an internship agreement valid for at least three months at the time of application,
- or French government scholarship status.
For agricultural workers, seeAgri-Loca-Pass advance
Applications can be made online at : locapass.actionlogement.fr
Are you under 30 and moving to be closer to your job or do you need a 2nd home?
L'Mobili-Jeune assistance may be for you! Managed by Action Logement, it allows you to finance part of the rent for accommodation close to your place of study or work.
Eligibility requirements :
- You are on an apprenticeship or professionalization contract.
- You're under 30.
- You are an employee of a company in the non-agricultural private sector.
- You're changing your main residence to be closer to your place of education or work: your new home is more than 70 km from your old address, or you're occupying two homes at the same time (and can prove that you're paying twice the rent).
- your gross monthly salary must be less than or equal to 120% of the SMIC.
Montant : from €10 to €100 per month, depending on the outstanding rent (after deduction of Caf aid).
- Assistance is capped at €1,100 per year of training over 11 monthly payments,
- Assistance can be requested for up to two years of training, consecutive or not, i.e. two times 11 months.
The request is available online at : mobilijeune.actionlogement.fr
For young people on work-study contracts with companies in the agricultural sector, see assistance Agri-Mobili-Jeune.
If you're having trouble paying the rent, don't wait for the situation to get worse!
- Contact Crous social services. You'll be able to discuss your situation with a social worker, and benefit from financial assistance if necessary.
Make an appointment on https://mesrdv.etudiant.gouv.fr/fr
- You can also call the toll-free number "SOS unpaid rent: 0 805 160 075
This toll-free number (free from a landline) enables you to contact an advisor at the Adil (departmental housing information agency) closest to your home. You can obtain advice and support tailored to your situation: steps to take, procedures, existing aid. If necessary, he or she will direct you to the various players likely to be able to help you.
- Your local social worker can also help. Contact thesocial antenna or the medical-social center in your neighborhood.
You can make a report on the Signal Logement platform or call the Info logement indigne number for advice:
- The platform Signal Logement
It allows tenants of housing in poor condition to report a non-decent dwelling. The online report will be forwarded directly to the relevant departments (Adil, local council, Caf, social landlord, ARS, etc.) in a single step. The aim is to bring the property up to standard as quickly as possible.
- The "info logement indigne" number 0 806 706 806 (Open 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm, cost of a local call)
It enables report a dwelling in poor condition or "logement indigne" (unfit housing) if you are a tenant, the victim of a slumlord in an unfit dwelling. An Adil advisor will be on hand to explain the steps you need to take.
L'Adil 25 (Agence départementale d'information sur le logement) can help you advisor on your rights and steps to solve your problem: www.maisonhabitatdoubs.fr
Tenants' associations
These associations advise and defend consumers and tenants. In general, you need to take out a membership to benefit from their services.
- CLCV (consumption housing living environment)
5 rue Hector Berlioz - tel 03 81 80 32 96 - besancon@clcv.org
- National Housing Confederation CNL
tel 03 81 51 59 67 or 06 64 88 79 35 - lacnl.besancon@laposte.net
- UFC Que choisir
8 avenue de Montrapon - 03 81 81 23 46 - contact@25-90.ufcquechoisir.fr
- Departmental Union of Family Associations UDAF
Maison de la Famille - 2 rue de la Famille - tel 03 81 80 21 74 - udafdoubs@udaf25.fr
Departmental Conciliation Commissions CDC
They offer homeowners and tenants settle their disputes "out of court without going to court. This may concern disagreements over rent, the security deposit, the inventory of fixtures, etc.
There is a commission in each département.
Find out more about the role of this commission and how to apply: www.doubs.gouv.fr
CDC du Doubs
Direction Départementale de l'Emploi, du Travail, des Solidarités et de la Protection des Populations - DDETSPP
5 voie Gisèle Halimi - BP 91705
25043 Besançon cedex
03 39 59 57 55
ddetspp-hebergement-logement@doubs.gouv.fr
I haven't found an answer
I'm a pro.
Yes, the Crous offers accessible housing and adapted for people with disabilities. You'll find an interactive map of adapted accommodation at www.etudiant.gouv.fr
Contact the Crous social services department: www.crous-bfc.fr
Yes, but there are very few places for international students.
You have to apply on trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr from the moment the "complementary phase" is opened (in 2025: July 8).
Here is a list of documents which you will most often find required to rent a property (this list is not exhaustive):
- ID (passport, ID card) and residence permit
- Student card or certificate of attendance
- Proof of income (notice of grant award, your last 3 pay slips if you have any, work contract if you have a student job, etc.) these or those of your guarantor.
- Rental guarantee: a guarantor is often required in France. If you don't have one, you can use the Visale.
- For you help you pay your rent you can benefit from housing subsidies (ALS, APL). If you come from outside Switzerland and EEE (European Economic Area), you'll need a VLS-TS (visa long séjour valant titre de séjour).
You can apply online at www.caf.fr. - For benefit from a guarantor, if no one can vouch for you, ask for the Visale guarantee.
- To advance you the money when the owner asks you for a security depositunder certain conditions, take advantage of theLoca-pass advance.
With the Carte Avantages Jeunes, some real estate agencies offer discounts:
- Lamy : 30 % discount on agency fees for apartment rentals
- Sogeprim : 25 % discount on agency fees for rental property
- Stéphane Plaza Immobilier : free entry inventory of fixtures for all lease signings
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