Housing

Quicklinks:

• Types of Housing and How to Find Accommodation>

• Temporary Options Before Finding Permanent Housing

• French Government Financial Assistance for Housing

All AGS courses are held in Paris, and therefore it is necessary to reside in or near Paris to attend any of the programs (with the exception of the International MBA and the Executive Masters programs in Finance and Marketing, for which students may possibly reside in another city or location and commute for the courses, which are held twice a month on weekends).

While the American Graduate School in Paris does not provide accommodation, the staff is available to help students in their housing search by giving advice and tips, making phone calls to landlords or real estate agencies, and if necessary accompanying students on their visits. However please note that students are responsible for conducting the search process and finding their own accommodation. (Please note that this does not apply to the undergraduate study abroad summer and semester programs, for which accommodation is provided).

There are various types of accommodation depending on your budget and on the type of experience that you are looking for. Ways to search will depend on the type of accommodation you are considering. Please note that for each of these options, financial aid for housing is available from the French government to students from all nationalities, based on need.

Types of Housing and How to Find Accommodation

Individual Apartment or Studio Apartment

Depending on standing, size, and location, you should expect to pay 600 Euros to 1,000 Euros per month plus expenses (electricity, telephone) for a furnished studio apartment within the city of Paris. Prices are much cheaper if you are willing to stay in a suburb. Public transportation makes it doable to commute from the suburbs without a car. You may opt for an unfurnished studio or apartment, which may decrease the monthly rent by 50 or 100 Euros.

How to search for an apartment or studio apartment:

You may contact real estate agencies. We recommend contacting several agencies and focusing on those located in the areas where you consider staying since their portfolio is usually local. You will incur agency fees which usually amount to approximately half of a month’s rent. Alternatively you may choose to search for an apartment without going through an agency. Please note that self-searching will allow you to avoid agency fees only if the apartment that you find is rented out directly by the landlord.

Useful websites:

www.seloger.com (website in French): compilation of ads from many real estate agencies, allowing you to do a global search rather than contacting each agency individually.

www.pap.fr (website in French): lists of classified ads posted directly by landlords, avoiding any finder’s fee.

http://www.locservice.fr/ (website in French) Database where you enter your needs and contact info, allowing landlords to contact you directly. No finder's fee.

www.unnid.com/en/intro (website in English): housing search engine which agregates results from various housing boards. It locates each place on a map to help the visitor sort results by area.

http://www.locservice.fr/ (website in French)

“Chambre de Service”

“Chambres de service” (sometimes also called “chambres de bonne”) are small individual rooms with shared toilet/bathroom in the hallway. They are usually located on the top floor of upscale “bourgeois” buildings and were previously designed for home personnel. They may be rented furnished or unfurnished. Again depending on size and location, expect to pay 400 to 500 Euros per month plus expenses (electricity, telephone) for a “chambre de service” located in Paris.

How to search for a “chambre de service”:

The process is the same as for apartments or studio apartments. You may contact real estate agencies. We recommend contacting several agencies and focusing on those located in the areas where you consider staying since their portfolio is usually local. You will incur agency fees which usually amount to approximately half of a month’s rent. Alternatively you may choose to search for an apartment without going through an agency. Please note that self-searching will allow you to avoid agency fees only if the apartment that you find is rented out directly by the landlord.

Useful websites:

www.seloger.com (website in French): compilation of ads from many real estate agency, allowing you to do a global search rather than contacting each agency individually

www.pap.fr (website in French): lists of classified ads posted directly by landlords, avoiding any of finder’s fee.

Shared Accommodation

It may be more profitable to share an apartment with a roommate. Expect an overall monthly rent of 1,000 Euros to 1,500 Euros plus expenses (electricity, telephone) for a one-bedroom furnished apartment in Paris.

How to search for shared accommodation:

1.Regarding the search for a roommate:

AGS can help you connect with potential roommates, or you may look for or place ads in:

www.appartager.com (website in English)

www.recherche-colocation.com (website in French)

www.easycoloc.com (website in French)

www.paris.fr.craigslist.org/ (website in English)

www.fusac.fr (website in English)

2. Regarding the search for an apartment:

The process is the same as for an individual apartment or studio apartment (see above). You will need to specify to the landlord or agency that there will be joint tenants.

Student Residence Halls:

There are a number of student residence halls around Paris, offering cheap accommodation in an international student atmosphere. However, they do not all provide long-term accommodation. Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris) does provide accommodation throughout the time of your studies. It is located in the South of Paris and comprises 37 residential halls which provide residence style accommodations and services to 5,000 international students. Students usually stay in a room or apartment in their own national house, if available. For example, priority would be given at the Maison des États-Unis (American House) to American nationals. Accommodations vary from house to house. Some rooms have their own showers and toilets while others have shared bathrooms. Prices run from 450 Euros per month.

How to search for student housing:

You should contact directly the student residence hall. Note that there is a very high demand so it is important to start the process several months in advance.

Click here to access the Cité Universitaire Internationale de Paris website

Homestay

You may rent a room within a house or apartment and stay with a French resident family. This enhances the immersion in French language and culture and creates opportunities for exchanges. Breakfast and dinner may or may not be included. Prices vary depending on the conditions. It is sometimes possible to waive part of the monthly rent in turn for baby-sitting/aupair work.

How to search for homestay options:

AGS is regularly in contact with families who wish to offer homestay to students and therefore you may ask the staff for any available current offer. You may also check the notice boards at the American Church in Paris (65, Quai D'Orsay - 75007 Paris) and the American Cathedral in Paris (23 avenue Georges V - 75008 Paris), where ads are posted daily. A more systematic way to search for homestay is online, through websites such as:

Paris Homestay (website in English)

Homestay in Paris (website in English)

France Accommodation and Culture (website in English)

Temporary Options Before Finding Permanent Housing

If you haven’t found accommodation before your arrival, it might take two to four weeks to find accommodation once in Paris, depending on the time of year you arrive. If you have friends or relatives living in Paris, it may be best to stay with them while you search for a permanent place to live. Alternatively you may stay at hostels, bed-and-breakfasts, or hotels.

Hostels

French youth hostels offer cheap and easy-to-find accommodation open to all young people and often provide an opportunity to exchange with other international students. However, please note that hostels offer shared accommodation in dorms, have fairly strict timetables, and will often only let you stay for a limited period of time. Prices start at 20 Euros per night and vary with standing and location.

Useful websites:

Fédération Unie des Auberges de Jeunesse, a member of the International Youth Hosteling Network operating 170 youth hostels in France.

Bed-and-breafast

Bed-and-breakfasts may be a more comfortable option in that they usually provide individual rooms while being less expensive than hotels for an equivalent standing. Additionally, they offer an opportunity to experience French culture and get a glimpse of Parisian ordinary life. Prices run from 30 Euros per night.

Useful websites:

www.bedbreak.com (website in English): flexibility on dates and length of stay

France Accommodation and Culture (website in English): student-specific bed and breakfast options with a minimum on-month stay.

Hotels

Hotels are usually expensive in Paris. However, it is possible to find less expensive hotels with prices running from 30 Euros per night.

Useful websites:

Paris-référencement (website in French)

Hôtels-pas-cher-paris (website in French)

France-hotel-guide (website in French)

For more information on housing, please contact AGS’s Admissions Officer Matthew Delabre: matthew.delabre@ags.edu 

French Government Financial Aid for Housing

The government of France may provide financial assistance to students by refunding a portion of their rent each month. Eligibility as well as, if applicable, the monthly amount of the subsidy depend on the resources of each student and may apply to students of all nationalities. The AGS staff is happy to advise and assist you in the application and follow-up procedures with the French administration.

In order to apply for this aid, the first step is to go to the website of the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales and fill out the online registration form.

Once you have completed the form, print it out and go to the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (the addresses of their various branches is available on the website - it varies with your residence address).

You will be required to provide the following documents:

• Your most recent rent receipt.

• Your residence contract, which should be provided by your landlord or real estate agency

• Your most recent telephone or electricity bill, as proof of residence.

• Your “relevé d'identité bancaire”. This document, available from your bank, identifies your bank name, address, and account number.

• Your student visa or residence permit

• A certificate from AGS confirming that you will be a student during the school year (available on request from AGS’s registrar Muriel Claudel: muriel.claudel@ags.edu)

• A document stating your income or resources.

For more information on housing financial aid, please contact AGS’s Registrar Muriel Claudel: muriel.claudel@ags.edu

Note: The third-party websites on this page are just examples indicated in order to provide assistance to AGS students and prospective students. The American Graduate School is not responsible for the contents of those websites.