Needle in a haystack: finding affordable accommodation in Paris
Once you’ve been accepted to your dream internship or university in Paris, still, you might find yourself struggling to find proper accommodation. And trust us, we get you.
As a reminder, anything below 9m2 doesn’t qualify as a suitable room and according to the law, a landlord in France cannot rent this.
Now, we know you might get very anxious about this topic, which is why we’re providing this overview of the possibilities you have to settle in the City of Lights.
1. Crous
Several CROUS residences are located in Paris. They are public properties and offer preferential rates and welcome mostly French scholarship students as well as foreign students. Their quality really depends on the residence, so it's sort of double or quit. But some of them offer good value for money and are well located.
Depending on the residence, you’ll get a simple bedroom or a studio, for less than 500 euros. The problem is, you are not assured to get accommodation if you apply, as it is subject to availability. But it is still worth trying, especially if your budget is tight.
How to apply: submit your application through this website.
Usually, if you need accommodation in September, you will have to wait until July to be part of the “phase complémentaire”.
2. Cité Universitaire
Located in the 14e, right next to the RER B and the metro line 4, the Cité offers postgraduate students and researchers the opportunity to get accommodation in one of 43 campus houses. Most of the houses focus on a country (Korean House, House of Norway, House of Brazil, American Foundation etc.) and thus welcome students from this specific nationality as well as a mix of French and other foreign students.
You can ask for a simple bedroom (you will hence share the kitchen with other people on your floor) or a studio apartment depending on the House you live in. Rent depends on the House and the surface area you have.
What’s great about the Cité? You get to enjoy multiple services such as the Crous restaurant, a beautiful park, a theater and even a swimming pool. Many cultural and artistic events are organized for residents on a regular basis. And if you like to meet new people from all over the world, this is the place for you.
How to apply: submit your application through this website.
You need to have proof you are enrolling in a university in Paris, for a master's degree at least.
3. Host Families
Staying with a host family on a short- or long-term basis is a great way to immerse yourself in French culture. Numerous websites offer to connect you to families all over the city, and in many cases you can pay a bit extra for breakfast and even dinner. For peace of mind, make sure to check the website for details on its vetting process.
While homestays brokered through third-party services are usually a little cheaper than market rates, they’re often more expensive than Crous housing or the Cité. If you’re looking for something cheaper, we don’t recommend going through Facebook or local classified sites, because who knows what kind of weirdos are lurking there. But if you already know people in Paris, you may find a friend of a trusted friend who’s got an extra room—usually people your parents age or older whose children have left home and who aren’t ready to face an empty nest.
Here are a few sites to try (though for legal reasons we can’t personally vouch for them). Check the housing pages for the many universities in Paris for more ideas!
Word of the week: chambre de bonne
Chambre de bonne. If you’ve seen Emily in Paris, you might have the title character refer to her apartment as a chambre de bonne. Which it most definitely is not. By the standards of single-occupancy dwellings in Paris, Emily actually has a pretty sick pad, which is not a phrase any one whose lived in one would use to describe a chambre de bonne. Least of all the bonnes for whom they are named: maids to the middle class families in the floors below.
These single room apartments are typically found on the top floor of otherwise well-appointed buildings, and often have a surface area of as little as six square meters. In many cases, tenants will have to share a bathroom in the hallway with other residents on their floor.
As mentioned above, the law now requires that any room or apartment intended for habitation have a surface area greater than nine square meters (and have a total window surface equal to at least one-eighth of the room’s floorspace), which has disqualified a great number of chambres de bonne formerly available to rent. But there are a still quite a few out there, and they’re (relatively!) cheap.
➡️ 💌 Remember to share the newsletter with your friends who have bravely moved to Paris (or are thinking of doing so!). If you have any suggestions for content, please feel free to reach out via parisalacarte@substack.com.