Student residence in France

You’re a student our young working person looking for accommodation? Maybe you’ve thought of student residences! There are a few things to keep in mind to be sure to secure a booking in one of them. 

 

 

 

 

Finding accommodation in a student residence: all you need to know

 

What is a student residence? 

 

The term student residences comes up a lot when you’re searching for accommodation, but what are they exactly?  

Student residences are infrastructures belonging to private organizations and are not to be confused with CROUS dwellings. The CROUS is a public organization, managing what is called “university residences”. Many real estate developers build residences all over the hexagon in the vast majority of cities. Studapart is partner with many of these developers. We can mention Nexity-Studéa, Studélites, Suitétudes or MACSF among others. 

The buildings are often built near school campuses, as the clientele is mainly composed of students. By living in student residences, students are located close to their place of study and don’t bother with long commuting. 
Student residences have varied offers in store. In a student residence, you can find 1, 2 or 3 room apartments, but also shared flats or individual flats with shared kitchen or bathroom, allowing anyone to choose what best suits their lifestyle and budget. 

 

The market of student residences in France

 

Approximately 2,500,000 students follow their studies each year in French schools and universities. This number is increasing by more than 2% every year. About half of them decide to leave their family home and seek accommodation as part of their studies. If you are reading this, you are probably one of them! But unfortunately, there are just as many more tenants entering the rental market. There are more and more applicants for housing, but not always more available housing! 

 

Student residence managers have analyzed this situation well. Taking advantages of this influx of demand, many have decided to invest in student residences and develop their rental stock. According to estimates, the number of student residence units is increasing. In some areas where the student population is booming, their number has almost doubled in 10 years.

 

Although private housing continues to lead the way in the preferences of young tenants, student residences are booming. 1 in 5 applications are now made towards student residences, a figure that has risen sharply in recent years. They are now particularly popular with international students and young working people. Internationals turn to this solution at it is the most convenient for a tenant coming from abroad. Indeed, student residences make it possible to book accommodation remotely from abroad, without a physical visit. Knowing this, it is no surprise this solution is preferred by internationals, who aren’t always familiar with the French rental market and its customs. 

 

Effort needed to find accommodation isn’t the same in all cities, depending on the state of the market. Finding accommodation in a student residence in Paris is much more difficult than finding an apartment in a student residence in Montpellier or Grenoble, for instance. 

 

It is easy to find accommodation if there is enough stock on the market to meet demand. On the contrary, a shortage in available accommodation can lead to a rise in rents and in this scenario, it is much more difficult to find accommodation that ticks all the boxes and rents can get very expensive. Such is the case in Lyon, for example. The city enjoys a very pleasant living environment while offering many job opportunities, and academic training among the best in France. But available accommodation is scarce and taken by storm. The average rent is 30 to 40% higher than in the rest of France! The situation in Bordeaux is similar. Since its recent high-speed railway connection with Paris, the demand for rentals in Bordeaux has risen sharply and rents have skyrocketed. Fortunately, the situation is a little less difficult in other cities. Cities hosting France’s largest university centres welcome many students but have adapted their capacity. Finding accommodation in student residences in Rennes, Lille, Marseille or Palaiseau isn’t that hard, especially with Studapart and its partner residences. 

 

Studapart’s network of partner residences

 

Studapart is partner with many student residences all over France. This allows Studapart users to access accommodation reserved exclusively for them. Here are some residences  you will find on our platform. 

If you are a student in one of the prestigious schools of the Paris-Saclay cluster, you may be searching in Massy or Palaiseau. ECLA Campus has set up a premium residence there. In addition to its ideal location, it offers countless services. Rooms for socialising, fitness, cinema or video games: everything’s on site for you to have good times without having to leave the premises. There’s also a large ultra-modern kitchen, a bar and a restaurant where you can meet up with friends. Study areas, co-working areas and even a printing service will make your student life easier. In short, a small town within the city! 

Spread all over France, Kley residences are also very attractive. They include modern and fully equipped accommodation, fibre access, parking spaces and even a library. 

 

YouFirst residences are located in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Lille. It’s not hard to understand why they are so popular when you know how difficult it is to find well-located accommodation in these cities. They offer a whole range of included services, from a gym to a hyper-connected space. You can even borrow a hairdryer, vacuum cleaner or an iron. A great way to wave money. 

 

Finally, we can mention Nexity-Studéa, who has a particularly extensive residential network. No matter where you want to move in, you will surely find a Nexity-Studéa residence. You will be able to benefit from modern and varied accommodation, from 1 to 5 room apartments, individual or shared. Vending machines, workspaces and gyms are also available to tenants. The right balance between independence and sharing! 

 

 

Why stay in a student residence? 

 

Ideal location 

 

Location is probably one of the first things you check when searching for accommodation and you’re right! For their studies or job, tenants generally prefer to avoid long commutings. Residence developers have understood this perfectly well. This is why student residences are often built in the heart of cities, or even close to schools. They are very strategic locations and are particularly popular with tenants. An advantage that traditional landlords can’t always offer.

 

Stress-free rentals

 

Student residences often make every effort to simplify the rental of their occupants.

Everything related to service charges in general, such as heating, running water and internet, is taken in charge by the residence and tenants don’t have to bother with administrative procedures. It’s also easier for them to have a clear idea of their budget, as all service charges are directly included in the rent. 

Student residence also usually offer additional services. Many of them have gyms, vending machines, laundry facilities, study spaces… Infrastructures that help you make the most of your study years.

 

Guaranteed safety

 

When looking for accommodation, people are often on the lookout for certain questionable practices or scams. Renting privately owned housing is more risky than staying in a student residence. Some landlords may be unscrupulous or even adopt illegal practices, which can put you at risk - both financially and criminally. 

 

One of the other strengths of student residences is that they offer a very secure environment. Residence managers are professionals. They therefore have a perfect command of the legal framework and the necessary steps to process an accommodation request. 

 

Community living

 

Moving to a new city but don't know anyone living there? Nothing to worry about.  85% of young tenants are in the same situation every year. But getting to know each other is not always easy! 

 

If this is your case, staying in a student residence can be a great option, even if you want to keep your independence. Even if you’re not in a shared flat, there are many opportunities to make acquaintances in a student residence. A game of table football, dinner with your neighbours: integrating into your new city can’t get easier than in a student residence. It’s also a good way to work in groups, as you will often find in your residence students that are from the same school as you. A good way to schedule study sessions. 

 

A flexible and adaptable management mode

 

Tenants sometimes only need a place for a few months. Many do internships, training courses or double-degrees programmes, but landlords usually prefer to avoid renting their property for short periods as it means they have to find a new tenant soon after. Some landlords ask for the lease to run for at least a year, excluding short-stay tenants. 

That’s not the case in student residences. They offer several dozens of units and are better able to accommodate short-stay residents. There are a more flexible option than renting a studio owned by a private landlord. 

 

Student residences also make it possible to book accommodation without a visit, remotely. This can be very practical for tenants who come from a faraway city and can’t make the trip to visit the place. In short, the doors of student residences are open to everyone! 

  

 

How much does it cost to live in a student residence? 

 

Rents for accommodation in a student residence varies, of course, depending on the city. But overall, in France, it is estimated that for the same surface area, a student residence costs 10% more than an apartment rented by an individual. 

In reality, staying in a student residence is sometimes less expensive than staying in a regular apartment. Indeed, the rent in a student residence includes charges, i.e. your consumption of water, electricity, internet, etc. This amount is fixed, which is not always the case for accommodation in a private home, where the amount of charges can skyrocket in no time! 

Furthermore, it should be noted that student residences offer a large number of additional services that are not included in traditional accommodation. Cleaning of the common areas or sometimes even of the flat, facilities within easy reach, caretaking... All this makes your life easier and makes renting much more pleasant. Enough to fully justify this small price difference! 

 

 

Studapart is the solution to easily find accommodation in a student residence

 

A clear vision on residences that interest you

 

Looking to stay in a student residence? You may have a hard time knowing which ones are available in your city. Studapart provides its users with a catalogue of our partner residences in different cities. A good way to narrow your search efficiently. 

 

Exclusive offers for our users

 

The many advantages of student residences make them very attractive to young tenants.  

Their accommodations are very sought after and don’t stay vacant long. Studapart guarantees its users exclusive access to accommodation in our partner residences. This allows you to face the competition and put the odds in your favor. 

 

Smooth procedures

 

Once you've found residences that might suit you, you can begin the process. Without the right support, this can quickly become complicated! Between unclear terms, mountains of documents to provide and waiting long to get an answer, it’s easy to get discouraged. 

 

Studapart is there to save you all the trouble. Once you’ve chosen where you want to live, we support you step by step in putting up your application. So you won't get lost! With Studapart, contact with the residence manager is fast and easy thanks to the partnership we build with them. The process is not unnecessarily lengthy and usually leads to an effortless booking. 

 

No guarantor? No worries

 

You usually need a guarantor to rent accommodation. This allows your renter to make sure he will be paid. But it can happen that tenants don’t have a guarantor. It’s often the case for international tenants. In this situation, it’s almost impossible to find accommodation. 

That’s why Studapart has the Studapart Certification, allowing you to rent any accommodation on the platform, even without a guarantor. 

 

A 100% secure platform

 

Who hasn’t pondered before making an online transaction? To answer this concern, we chose to use the Stripe online solution. A 100% secured payment method, allowing our users to have peace of mind. But renters too need to be reassured by having information on your guarantor. You don’t have a guarantor? No worries: you can use the Studapart Certification. 

 

The signing of the contract is also done on the platform, so we can make sure that everything is in order. No need to worry about that either! 

 

Seamless support, even after booking

 

Like many tenants, you may have a few questions while you're doing all this. It can also happen that certain situations give rise to a dispute between you and your landlord. 

 

Studapart will take care of everything. Our team of experts speaks several languages and ensures a follow-up 6 days a week, and is available at the slightest glitch.