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Foreign students: how to compile your rental file
Are you coming from abroad and have you chosen to pursue your higher education in France? After being accepted into the course of your choice, it is time to prepare for your new life by looking into the question of housing. Before packing your bags, you will have to compile a rental file to be able to rent an apartment, a room or even join a shared apartment. Studapart gives you all its advice to prepare your rental file as well as possible!
How to prepare a rental file?
The rental file is in a way your tenant identity card. It allows your future owner to ensure that he can trust you by renting his property to you. The rental file is essential, especially in the most popular cities. This is why it is important to build it carefully.
A landlord will seek reassurance about your reliability and especially your ability to pay your rent each month. It will therefore be necessary to provide him with various supporting documents to put the odds on your side:
- An information sheet: it includes your contact details, your professional and family situation, as well as the duration of your rental.
- A photocopy of your identity card.
- A photocopy of your student card, your school certificate or a certificate of registration in your school.
- Your internship, work-study or work contract depending on your situation.
As a student, you will also be greatly advantaged if you are supported by a guarantor. The ideal is to choose a person with income that represents at least 3x the amount of your rent. This person does not have to be one of your parents, you can choose anyone, as long as you have their agreement. This guarantor must also provide supporting documents to add to your file:
- Photocopy of his identity document.
- His employment contract: mentioning the type of contract (CDI, CDD), the date of hiring and the remuneration.
- The last three payslips.
- The latest tax notice.
- The property tax or the last three rent receipts.
- The professional card or a KBIS (less than 3 months) and the last balance sheet, if your guarantor is self-employed.
The more supporting documents you have to provide to your landlord, the more likely you are that he will trust you, but be careful, he cannot demand everything. Some documents should not be included in your file:
- Banking documents (account statements, direct debit authorization, certificate of good account keeping, etc.).
- Personal documents (medical file, extract from the criminal record, marriage contract, photos excluding identity papers, etc.)
- Documents supporting the financial situation (certificate concerning credits, certificate from the previous owner, more than two balance sheets for the self-employed, etc.)
Put the odds on your side to find your apartment
If you take care of your rental file and you are accompanied by a guarantor, you already have a good chance of finding an apartment that suits you.
Also remember to start your research as soon as possible. As soon as you are sure of the city you are going to live in, it is time to look into the ads.
You will find many verified ads on Studapart, they will facilitate your rental process thanks to the commitment of our owners. You will also have the possibility of reserving your apartment without obligation to visit: practical if you rent from abroad, you will not have to move and rent another accommodation upstream to make your visits.
