You've found a studio you like and you're being asked for your rental application. But what do you put in it when you don't have any payslips, or when your parents live on the other side of the world? Good news: the list of documents is set by law, and there are solutions if you don't have a guarantor in France. Let's go through it together, step by step.
The documents you need for your rental application
Private landlord, letting agency or student residence: whoever reviews your application checks 4 things. Your identity, your current address, your employment situation and your income. This core list is the same for French and international students.
Wondering how to prove your situation without a salary? For students, it's often your parents' financial situation that counts. That said, you can strengthen your application with:
- your grant award letter, if you receive a grant
- your employment contract, if you have a student job, an internship or a work-study contract
- a housing aid simulation certificate from the CAF
In practice, what landlords mostly expect are your guarantor's last 3 payslips. And that's where things can get tricky for international students whose parents live abroad. We'll come back to that below.
As for proof of address, you may not be asked for one, since your main residence is abroad. If you are, a sworn statement from the person hosting you is enough.
Most importantly, this list of documents is regulated by the decree of 5 November 2015. Landlords are not allowed to ask for any other documents. If they do, they face a fine of up to €3,000 for an individual, or €15,000 for a company (Act of 6 July 1989, Article 22-2).
Here's what you and your guarantor can be asked for, according to Service Public fact sheet F1169:
| Document | What you provide | What your guarantor provides | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity | 1 valid photo ID: passport, ID card or residence permit | 1 valid photo ID: ID card or passport | Foreign documents are accepted |
| Address | Sworn statement from your parents, or your last 3 rent receipts | Latest rent receipt, or water, gas or electricity bill less than 3 months old | Only 1 document can be required |
| Employment situation | Student card or certificate of enrolment for the current year, internship or work-study contract if you work | Employment contract or employer's certificate | You don't need a job to rent |
| Income | Grant award letter, CAF simulation, tax assessment notice or your country's equivalent, payslips if you work | Last 3 payslips, latest tax assessment notice or the equivalent from the country concerned | Copies translated into French, amounts converted into euros |
Your student card (or certificate of enrolment) is one of the documents to request from your school as soon as possible: you'll need it for most of your admin procedures.
That leaves the question that holds back more international students than any other: the guarantor.
In theory, your parents can be your guarantors from your home country
For a French student, it's simple. Their parents act as guarantors with their payslips, tax assessment notice and proof of address, all in French.
What about you? The law also accepts a guarantor who lives abroad. A foreign ID document and a foreign tax assessment notice (the equivalent document issued by your country's tax authority) are explicitly on the list of authorised documents.
The only condition: every copy must be written in or translated into French, with amounts converted into euros.
The real difficulty is practical. French landlords, who are used to French payslips, sometimes find foreign documents less reassuring. It's not a ban, just an obstacle you can get around.
And if your parents can't act as your guarantors, or if the landlord is wary of their paperwork, there are solutions designed for international students.
To explore every rent guarantee option, take a look at our guide Finding a guarantor to rent. And if you're short on time, here's a quick recap of what to remember.
No guarantor in France? Visale and online guarantors
When you have no one to act as your guarantor, you have two types of solutions: Visale, which is public and free, and paid online guarantors.
Here are the main options side by side:
| Solution | Cost | Who it's for | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visale | Free | Aged 17 years and 10 months to under 30, EU and non-EU students with a valid permit | Capped rent, landlord's approval required, you pay back any unpaid rent |
| Garantme | Percentage of rent, from 4.5% | Open to international students | Certificate that replaces a physical guarantor |
| Cautioneo | Percentage of rent, plus €12/year and €19 in the 1st year | Dedicated student plan | You only pay once the guarantee is activated |
| SmartGarant | Percentage of rent, from 4.3% | Students and work-study students for the monthly plan | On the monthly plan, the first 6 months are paid upfront when you sign up |
Visale, Action Logement's free guarantee
Visale is a free rent guarantee offered by Action Logement. It's open to tenants aged 17 years and 10 months to under 30, and also works for university residences and social housing.
As an international student, here's what you need:
- if you're from the EU: a valid student card and passport
- if you're from outside the EU: a valid VLS-TS marked "student" (or a residence permit marked student)
Rent is capped depending on where you rent (Service Public fact sheet F33453):
- outside Île-de-France: up to €840 with no income requirement, then up to €1,575 if your income is above €1,680
- in Île-de-France (rent including charges): up to €1,000 with no income requirement, then up to €1,940 if your income is above €2,000
Above those amounts, Visale isn't available. Your grant, an internship allowance or a housing allowance all count towards your income. You can check your situation with Action Logement's eligibility simulator.
In terms of timing, everything happens before you sign the lease:
- You apply online on Visale, with your supporting documents.
- You receive your Visale certificate within a few working days.
- You give your Visale certificate to the landlord.
- The landlord creates an account and validates the guarantee agreement.
- You both sign the lease.
Two things to keep in mind. The landlord doesn't have to accept Visale. And it isn't financial aid: if you don't pay your rent, Action Logement pays the landlord, then recovers the money from you.
In a two-person flatshare, a single Visale certificate can be enough if one of the two flatmates is eligible.
Student visa not valid yet?You can't apply for Visale before the date your visa becomes valid. If you're arranging viewings from abroad, plan for another guarantee.
So your student visa determines whether you can use Visale. To learn everything about this permit, read our guide Getting your VLS-TS student visa.
Garantme, Cautioneo, SmartGarant: paid online guarantors
They all work the same way: you pay for a certificate that replaces a physical guarantor. The price is a percentage of your rent, charges included.
- Garantme: this online guarantor is open to international students. It's the biggest player on the market and has a very good reputation online.
- Cautioneo: the student plan costs 3.75% of the rent, plus €12/year in brokerage fees and a €19 signature pack in the first year. You only pay once you've found a place and the guarantee is activated.
- SmartGarant: from 4.3% of the rent on the annual plan.
Before paying anything, ask the landlord whether they accept the guarantor you have in mind.
Once your guarantee is sorted, all that's left is to gather your documents.
Put together a complete application before your viewings
The student housing market is competitive. Your best move: have a complete, verified application ready before your very first viewing.
Build your application on DossierFacile
DossierFacile is a free public service run by the French government. You upload your documents, agents check them, and then you share a secure link with landlords.
Your documents are protected. A watermark guards them against identity theft, your data is hosted in France, and your files are deleted after 45 days of account inactivity.
The service has a proven track record: more than 2 million accounts created since 2018, and its users are 24% more likely to get a viewing, according to DossierFacile's blog.
It's an excellent tool and we highly recommend it: it lets you build a complete, verified and secure application that reassures landlords and gives you the best chance of landing a rental 👌
On viewing day
Your application needs to be ready before your first viewing. Make sure you have:
- your certificate of enrolment for the current year
- your proof of income
- your guarantor (a person or an organisation like Visale)
Our tip? Bring a printed copy of your application. If you fall in love with a place, hand it straight to the person who showed you around: it shows you're ready, and you don't lose a minute.
Zero euros before the leasenobody can ask you for money to reserve a place, or before the lease is signed. If someone asks for a bank transfer to "hold" the apartment, walk away.
Still looking for places to apply to? Our guide Finding student accommodation helps you find the right leads.
Your application caught the landlord's eye? Congratulations! Here's what comes next.
Your application is accepted: what's next?
Before you get the keys, set aside some budget and plan for a few formalities.
What you pay when you sign
When you sign the lease, there are three costs:
- the first month's rent
- the security deposit: up to 1 month's rent excluding charges for unfurnished housing, 2 months for furnished. It isn't allowed with a bail mobilité, or when rent is paid quarterly in advance
- agency fees, if you go through a letting agency
When it comes to agencies, only 4 services can be charged to you: processing your application, the viewing, drafting the lease and the move-in inventory. Their cost is capped per m² depending on the area: €12.10/m² in very high-demand areas, €10.09/m² in high-demand areas, €8.07/m² in other areas, plus €3.03/m² for the inventory (Service Public fact sheet F375).
For 25 m² in a very high-demand area, that comes to €302.50 maximum, plus the inventory. The official simulator calculates the cap for your place.
Bank account and home insurance
To pay your rent and bills (electricity, internet, insurance), you'll need a French bank account. Our guide Opening a French bank account explains how to go about it.
Home insurance is mandatory, even with a bail mobilité. At a minimum, it covers tenant's liability risks: fire, water damage, explosion. You hand over the certificate when you get the keys. Without it, the landlord can terminate the lease or take out insurance for you and charge you for it (Service Public fact sheet F31300).
To compare offers and pick the right one, read our guide Choosing your home insurance.
Housing aid (APL)
Run your simulation on caf.fr as early as possible. It helps you plan your budget.
You apply once you move in, on the CAF website.
Be careful if you're from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland: since 1 July 2026, students who don't hold a needs-based grant are no longer entitled to the APL (Service Public). Those who have a job or a work-study contract may still be eligible. If you're European, check directly online with the CAF simulator.
To understand everything about applying and how it's calculated, read our guide Applying for housing aid (APL).
Conclusion
A strong rental application will make your housing search much easier.
To be sure you don't forget anything, gather your documents on DossierFacile and share the link as soon as you like a place. Above all, don't underestimate the importance of your guarantor: that's what will make the difference. Good luck with your search!
Sources
- Service Public, F1169 "Prospective tenant of private housing: documents to give the landlord" - tenant and guarantor documents, translation and conversion into euros, fines, ban on paying to reserve - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1169
- Service Public, F33453 "Visale guarantee" - eligibility, rent caps, application steps, flatsharing - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F33453
- Service Public, F375 "Letting agency fees for rentals" - services chargeable to the tenant and caps per m² - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F375
- Service Public, news item A18981 - end of the APL for non-EU students without a grant from 1 July 2026 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18981
- DossierFacile, "About us" - how it works, document verification, watermark, data hosting and deletion - https://www.dossierfacile.logement.gouv.fr/information
