Student rentals in Strasbourg

Three possible leases, and which to choose

Furnished rentals come under the law of 6 July 1989, which provides three contracts for three situations.

The standard furnished lease

One year, tacitly renewed. It is the standard furnished contract, suited to a student staying several years or keeping the home over summer.

The 9-month student lease

Reserved for students (article 25-7 of the 1989 law): nine months, with no tacit renewal. The home frees up in summer with no notice to give, which is why many landlords prefer it.

The mobility lease

From one to ten months, non-renewable, reserved among others for studies, internships and apprenticeships. Its particularity: no security deposit may be required.

The application file: a fixed list, not a fishing expedition

The documents a landlord may request are limited by decree no. 2015-1437: proof of identity, proof of situation (the enrolment certificate for a student), proof of income, and the same documents for the guarantor.

Everything else is forbidden: no health card, no bank statement, no reservation cheque. A complete, readable file from the first visit often makes the difference on a market where small homes go fast.

No family guarantor? The Visale guarantee exists for that

Visale is Action Logement's guarantee: free, open to students and to young people aged 18 to 30, it covers unpaid rent in place of a personal guarantor. The application is made online, before the lease is signed, and the visa obtained goes into the file.

Worth knowing: a landlord who has taken out rent-default insurance may normally not require a guarantor on top, except when the tenant is a student or an apprentice (article 22-1 of the 1989 law). A student can therefore be asked for both: it is not an abuse, it is the exception the law provides.

What it costs to move in

The security deposit

Two months' rent excluding charges for a furnished home, one month unfurnished, nothing under a mobility lease. It is returned within one month if the exit inventory matches, within two months otherwise.

Agency fees

The tenant's share is capped by the ALUR law, per square metre of living space and by the home's zone. Our complete scale is public, shown in full on the fees page.

The first rent

The rent for the month of entry, prorated to the date. Home insurance, which is compulsory, is taken out before the keys are handed over: the certificate is requested at signature.

A furnished home is a list, not an impression

Decree no. 2015-981 sets the minimum furniture of a furnished home: bedding with duvet or blanket, hobs, oven or microwave, fridge with a freezer compartment, crockery and utensils, table and seating, storage, lighting, cleaning equipment. If one element is missing, the lease can be reclassified as unfurnished, with its own rules.

Leaving: one month's notice

In a furnished home, the tenant's notice is one month, everywhere in France. Unfurnished, it is three months, reduced to one month in high-demand areas: Strasbourg is one of them (decree no. 2013-392). Notice is given by registered letter, by bailiff or by hand against a receipt.