After your brother, have you just learned that your best friend is also embarking on a roommate? But what attracts so many tenants to this type of accommodation? Between the discovery of new people, new cultures, the economic and practical aspect, several factors explain this choice. If you are still hesitating about moving into a flat share, Studapart has prepared what to guide you and is full of ads to find the flat share of your dreams!
Flatshare is an increasingly popular type of rental because it allows several people to share accommodation, and the resulting costs, while having their own personal space. It is an alternative conducive to conviviality and sharing, today very often chosen by students and young workers, especially in large cities. And because living together can be learned, shared accommodation can obviously suit everyone, especially if you appreciate community life!
What is a flatshare?
Living in a shared apartment means renting an apartment or a house with other people, sharing the rent and the common areas. You can live in shared accommodation with friends, family or complete strangers! Indeed, with the rise in rents, more and more people are choosing this alternative to live comfortably while reducing costs. Shared accommodation is very attractive to young workers and students who live in large cities, where rents are very high. According to Harris Interactive, 30% of French people have already experienced shared accommodation.
In a flatshare, everyone has their own space (the bedroom, which must be at least 9m²) and shares the common areas with the rest of the household (living room, kitchen, bathroom, outdoor spaces, etc.). In homes where more than 3 people live, there can be two bathrooms to make everyday life easier.
The rental contract is governed by the Alur law and is made by a single lease or an individual lease between the roommates and the owner. There is no specific legal text, but the rules of classic rental apply.
Did you know? The Alur law has been in force since 2014. Alur being the acronym for Access to Housing and Renovated Urban Planning, it regulates rental and aims to facilitate access to housing, help vulnerable people and establish a balance between the different players in the real estate market. It also ensures its regulation to avoid any abusive behavior.
For whom is flatsharing for?
Shared accommodation is particularly attractive to students who often need to leave their family home to study in large cities where rents are often too expensive for them. Today, 20% of students choose to live in shared accommodation. It is therefore a good solution for them, which allows them to share the rent but also to meet new people and integrate by sharing good times with roommates.
Young working people are also big fans of shared accommodation. When you arrive on the job market, it usually takes some time before you are really financially stable. This is why shared accommodation allows these young workers to settle in more peacefully and focus on their budding careers. Also, since their needs are often compatible with this way of life, shared accommodation is not a constraint for them. They also enjoy living in a community and sharing moments with people they can easily identify with.
It is common to think that this type of rental is reserved for young people, but many employees or single people are now turning to shared accommodation. In 2018, nearly half of people living in shared accommodation were employees.
It is generally the same profiles that come together in the same accommodation, and this is in particular why in the majority of cases the roommates get along very well since they essentially share the same way of life or the same habits. In general, this type of rental is aimed at sociable people who appreciate community life and who wish to integrate into a group.
Benefits of flatshare
Choosing a flatshare brings many advantages, including being able to live in larger and more furnished living spaces while paying a reasonable rent. It is also the way to be able to choose an apartment in certain cities or districts that are more attractive but which often cost more.
The accommodation offered for shared accommodation is also fully furnished and equipped. This allows tenants to only have to bring their personal belongings and to be able to access all the equipment they need without having to generate more expenses. Those who wish can also complete the furniture according to their desires and improvise as interior decorators.
Finally, the most appreciated advantage is being able to share moments with your roommates. Students or young working people arriving in a new city can integrate more easily and make friends with the other occupants of the accommodation and help each other or share tips. After the health crisis, many people seek to escape loneliness and enjoy sharing a meal, an evening or an activity with people who live under the same roof as them.
Shared accommodation also allows you to discover other cultures and ways of living and above all to create unique links because it is a special relationship to share your daily living space with someone. There are also a lot of foreign students looking to share a roommate, and it is a very good way to progress in the practice of a language and to enrich your knowledge. The majority of people who have experienced shared accommodation have a very positive assessment of it and this is sometimes where great friendships are born! These people can also give you valuable advice based on their own experience.
Rules for living well together
In addition to the many advantages offered by shared accommodation, a few rules also allow roommates to live in harmony. Communication and knowing how to adapt are the key to a good roommate.
It is up to everyone to define the minimum criteria for living in good conditions and in the long term with other people. Getting to know your roommates is the best way to ensure a good understanding within the accommodation. Everyone has their own character, desires and needs, it is by identifying them that we can adapt to each other and especially determine if cohabitation will be possible.
You also have to know how to respect everyone's privacy, because even if the apartment is shared, each roommate has their own room and needs this personal space to relax, work, sleep and enjoy their privacy. The same is true for shared spaces such as the living room or the kitchen because although they belong to everyone, you have to know how to live in harmony by paying attention to noise, guests or maintaining order and cleanliness, which can quickly become a point of contention if some roommates do not respect it.
You have to know the habits and rhythm of each person's life to avoid queuing in the bathroom in the morning or disturbing your roommates when you are an early riser or go to bed late, for example. If you work nights and need to sleep during the day, your roommates should be willing to be quiet while you rest. Sharing accommodation with people who have a lifestyle similar to yours will make your cohabitation much easier.
There are basic rules to follow to live together, but the roommates are then free to agree and set up the “house rules”. It is also important to discuss and set up shifts for cleaning, common purchases and why not set up shared moments all together like a movie night every Sunday! The more the rules are clear and above all established together, the more the roommate will have a chance of working well.
How much does living in a flatshare cost?
Flatsharing allows you to enjoy larger spaces at a lower cost. Indeed, a shared room in Paris costs on average €600/month, depending on the location of the apartment, while a 20m² studio costs on average €800/month to rent. In Lyon, the average is €510/month for a flatshare, €455/month for a flatshare in Bordeaux and €400/month for a flatshare in Marseille.
You have to add to the price of the rent certain expenses such as water bills, electricity bills, gas bills and internet subscription. It is also compulsory to take out home insurance before entering the accommodation, which must guarantee all the people living in the shared accommodation. Added to this, very often tenants will have to pay the housing tax. There can only be one issued for housing, but it will be calculated according to the income of one or two people maximum. It is therefore important to choose the right roommate who will be appointed because it is on their income that it will be calculated. It is essential to agree from the beginning between all the roommates concerning the expenses and the way in which they will be managed in order to avoid any misunderstanding and possible problems later.
How to find your flatshare?
To be comfortable in a roommate, you have to take the time to choose it well. There are many advertisements and you have to be very attentive to the conditions that are written there, such as the authorization or not of pets or the possibility of smoking or organizing parties in the accommodation or the type of profile sought ( students, employees, etc.).
You have to think carefully and make a list of all the important points before you start. Indeed, the place where the apartment is located, the layout and the furnishing of the rooms can change everything if they do not adapt to your needs and what you are looking for.
Today there are many sites to find a flatshare. Studapart offers several flatshares on its platform at any time of the year, anywhere in France. More than 80% of the number of reservations were recorded by Studapart for this type of rental. We support tenants in their search process and provide them with several accommodations. There are also many announcements on social networks like Facebook where there are groups dedicated to offers and requests of this type, generally organized by city or by district for large cities. Be careful, however, because these alternatives do not offer guarantees in terms of the security of transactions or the colocation itself thereafter. You will also be able to find advertisements by word of mouth or in the classified ads of universities because it is often the occupants of the accommodation who are themselves looking for a replacement for the roommate who has left the apartment.
At the administrative level, it is very important to check that your name appears on the lease in order to avoid ending up in a sublet. You must carefully read the contract that binds you to your roommates to be informed of what the landlord may require when one of the roommates leaves or in the event of an unpaid bill. This is particularly the case with the solidarity clauses which bind the joint tenants together and which ensure that the rent and the charges must be paid by the other joint tenants in the event that one of them cannot, and this throughout the duration of the contract and up to 6 months after the departure of the roommate. These clauses are often very appreciated by landlords because they guarantee them additional security, although they can be very restrictive for young tenants.
Finally, do not hesitate to visit several apartments before making your choice and to meet future roommates. This meeting can be decisive because although the apartment corresponds in all respects to your criteria, if you think that cohabitation may prove difficult with certain profiles, it will be better to look for something that will suit you better. Rather friendly neighbor or good friend who will share his popcorn with you in front of a movie? It's up to you to choose your next roommates!