Finding your accomodation when coming (back) to France

Choosing to rent an apartment will allow you to land safely on your feet as soon as you arrive. It is much faster to gain access to a rented place, and it can be used as a temporary step before buying a place, if that is your long-term plan. In addition, in some regions (in Ile-de-France in particular) the law allows to reduce the advance notice before terminating a lease down to one month, allowing you to do so just before finalising the purchase of your house.

You chose to rent a place? Depending on your choice, you will have to deal with a lot of charges before you can move in: estate agent charges, security deposit, first month of rent... All of these charges are due for payment on the day you sign your lease. Here are your options:

• Contact a real estate agency. They usually charge one month rent, and cannot legally ask for more. The estate agent charges should not exceed 15€/m² if the lease is in your name as your main residence. They can also be lower depending on the region you will be settling in. Be careful, if your employers take charge of your accommodation, the estate agency can decide freely of its fee…;
• Peer-to-peer announcements will let you avoid any agency fees;
• Relocation agencies can offer more specialised services; 
• Some agencies work on success fees, but only for very large apartments.

Whatever your choice is, the first rent is calculated pro rata temporis, so you should not worry about starting your lease on the first of the month. Whether you are renting a furnished or unfurnished apartment, the security deposit is worth one month of rent (excluding service charges).

The duration of your lease can also vary depending on what can of accommodation you choose: one year for a furnished apartment, 3 years for an unfurnished apartment, 6 years for an unfurnished apartment if the lessor is a legal person. You have doubts on the area you should choose to live in? Don’t hesitate to call a specialist. “Relocation” agencies organise visits of apartments which correspond to your standard and take charge of the administrative formalities (inventory, contracts, etc.) of your installation. Furthermore, if your employer pays contribution to the housing allowance, you can receive the “Mobilipass” subvention to pay such services.