Bordeaux Montaigne University created a guide to housing to help you find an accommodation in Bordeaux, especially dedicated to international students.
You can also check these other useful links:
The attractiveness and development of Bordeaux and its metropolitan area have resulted in a tight property market for several years, with strong pressure on student accommodation. We strongly advise you to anticipate your search for accommodation before the start of the academic year to avoid this turning into a difficult process.
A platform to help you find an accommodation
In order to facilitate the search for accommodation, Bordeaux Montaigne University provides students and landlords with an online accommodation platform.
In partnership with Studapart, you can access hundreds of exclusive offers for periods of 1 to 24 months near your campus but also throughout France during your search for internship: studios, flatshares, rooms in private homes, etc.
Access the Studapart platform
Benefit from a personalized support throughout your rental
From the rental file to the reservation of the accommodation, all the steps are done online. The rental file is simplified and in a 100% digital format. You can also benefit from services after your reservation, such as home insurance.
You don't have a guarantor living in France?
Thanks to the Studapart Guarantee option, Studapart is your guarantor for the whole duration of your rental. In order to be eligible, all you have to do is submit your ID and proof of admission on the platform.
A multilingual team awaits you at booking@studapart.com (booking @ studapart.com). Check the Studapart 2023-2024 guide.
Your guarantor is the person who undertakes to pay your rent if you can no longer afford to do so. In France, a guarantor is almost always required of people wishing to rent a flat, whether they are foreign or French. The guarantor is usually a solvent person living in France.
A security deposit is to be payed at the moment of the signature of the lease. It represents the payment of one month's rent, excluding charges.
The inventory of fixtures is a mandatory document. It describes the accommodation room by room, including the equipment and the annexes (parking, cellar, storeroom, garage). It is drawn up upon entering and leaving the property.
As a tenant, you are liable for any damage caused to the accommodation during the term of the lease. For this reason, and in order to protect you against the financial consequences of damage caused by you or a third party, French law requires you to take out home insurance.
You must produce an insurance certificate:
The landlord is entitled to ask for a copy of the home insurance certificate for your student accommodation on the day of the inventory of fixtures. If you do not have insurance, the landlord may terminate your rental contract or take out insurance on your behalf.
What insurance coverage will I have?
When you take out a home insurance policy, you will be insured at least for 'rental risks' (risques locatifs). This guarantee covers damage to the dwelling/building (damage resulting from fire, explosion or water damage).
However, it is often more interesting to take out "comprehensive" insurance (assurance multirisques). This type of insurance, which can be tailored to your needs, will also cover your property (computer equipment, household appliances, etc.), as well as any damage you may unintentionally cause to others (civil liability or responsabilité civile).
It is not compulsory to take out an insurance policy for furnished "tourist" accommodation (i.e. if you are staying there for less than 90 days during the year). However, it is recommended that you cover your liability towards the landlord (civil liability).
Apartment-sharing: who insures the accommodation?
At least one of the flatmates must be insured for rental risks. The subscriber will then only have to designate his or her flatmates by name in the contract so that they can benefit from the same guarantees. It is nevertheless important that each flatmate is insured for civil liability.
Which insurance should you choose?
You can take out a home insurance policy with a bank or insurance company, which offer policies specially designed for students.
The cost of home insurance varies significantly. Feel free to make a simulation with different insurance companies before committing yourself. You can do this online at: lelynx.fr, lecomparateurassurance, selectra.info.
Have you found an offer that interests you? Before going to the visit, you can prepare the questions you will ask:
Questions the landlord may ask you:
Documents the landlord is allowed to request from you:
Documents the landlord is NOT allowed to request from you:
In France, most students are eligible for housing financial assistance.
Your rent can be reduced by receiving assistance from the Caisse d'Allocation Familiale (CAF) of your place of residence. This aid varies depending on the type of accommodation you are going to stay in, the amount of rent you pay and your income.
Go to the CAF website to make an online estimate.
Do you wish to donate some small furniture or a bicycle? Etu'Recup aims to give a second life to objects in good condition (furniture, household appliances, clothes, etc.) that are no longer of use to their owners.