How to Rent an Apartment in Paris from Abroad: Step by Step

To rent an apartment in Paris from abroad, prepare your rental file and guarantee before you leave, view homes remotely, and pay nothing until a lease is signed. This guide takes international students and young workers through each step in order, from budget and documents to signing, insurance, the entry inventory and the first steps after move-in.

1. Set your budget and choose an area

Campus France tells students to expect at least €800 a month for private-market housing in Paris. Add the money due on signing day: up to two months’ rent as a deposit for a furnished home, the first rent and any agency fees (section 5).

Pick the area by door-to-door travel time to your campus or office: the inner suburbs of Hauts-de-Seine and Val-de-Marne are on the metro, RER and tram.

2. Build your rental file before you leave

The rental file (dossier de location) is what a landlord uses to choose a tenant. The law limits it to one valid identity document, one proof of address, and proof of occupation and income; a landlord who asks for more risks a fine.

• Identity: a foreign passport or identity card with a photo is accepted.
• Studies: this year’s student card or enrolment certificate (certificat de scolarité).
• Income: for example a scholarship notice or your last three payslips.
• Copies must be in French or translated, with amounts converted into euros.

You can upload the file to DossierFacile, the French State’s online service, and send it to landlords.

Landlords usually want a guarantor too. If you have none in France, look at Visale, a free guarantee from Action Logement for tenants aged 30 or under, students included. The request must be made before the lease is signed, and Campus France notes that no address in France is needed yet. See our guide to renting without a guarantor.

3. Search and view, including from a distance

Campus France advises students not to wait until they land: apply from home, and book temporary accommodation if nothing is signed by departure. If you cannot visit, ask for a live video viewing or send someone you trust.

• Never pay to reserve a home: asking for money to hold a property is forbidden, and nothing can be claimed before the lease is signed.
• Send no money remotely until the lease is signed and you have dealt directly with the owner or agent.
• A rent well below the market is a warning sign.

4. Choose the right type of lease

Three types of lease (bail) cover a tenant’s main home, and the furnished lease has a shorter student version. Duration and deposit cap depend on the type.

A one-year furnished lease renews automatically, but the nine-month student lease ends on its last day: ask for a one-year lease if you plan to stay longer. The bail mobilité is reserved for specific situations, such as higher education, an internship, an apprenticeship or a temporary work assignment, and cannot be renewed.

5. Know what you pay at signing

On signing day you may owe the deposit (dépôt de garantie), the first rent as set out in the lease and, with an agency, your share of its fees (honoraires). Tenants share only four services: the file, the viewing, the drafting of the lease and the entry inventory. The landlord pays for everything else.

Paris and a number of surrounding communes are classed as very tight: for a 25 m² studio there, the caps are €302.50 for the fees and €75.75 for the inventory. Check your case with the Service-Public fee simulator.

6. Insure the home and do the entry inventory

Home insurance (assurance habitation) is compulsory for tenants, including under a bail mobilité; only rental-risk cover (fire, water damage, explosion) is mandatory. You hand over the certificate when you receive the keys, then once a year on request, so buy the policy beforehand. Without it, the landlord can start the procedure to end the lease, or insure the home on your behalf and bill you.

The entry inventory (état des lieux d’entrée) is drawn up at key handover with you and the landlord or agent both present; each side receives a copy. Note every defect and take dated photos: you have 10 calendar days to ask for corrections, and the first month of the heating season for heating equipment (official page).

7. After moving in: electricity, internet and housing aid

Unless the lease says they are included in the charges, electricity and internet contracts are yours to open. Contact a supplier before move-in and note the meter readings on key day.

Housing aid (APL or ALS) is paid by the CAF. Since 1 July 2026, a student from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who holds a student residence permit qualifies in three cases only: a needs-based grant (bourse sur critères sociaux), a professional activity, or an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. If you qualify, apply online as soon as you move in; the first payment generally comes about two months later. Conditions are on Service-Public.

8. A suggested timeline (not official deadlines)

ViveFrance lists homes for rent in Paris and the nearby suburbs, and its website and advisers work in Chinese, English, Korean and French. You can book a viewing online and ask the adviser which documents to prepare for the home you are interested in. See homes for rent

Frequently asked questions

Can a landlord ask me to pay a reservation fee before I arrive?

No. Asking for money to reserve a home is forbidden, and nothing can be claimed before the lease is signed. Walk away.

Is a nine-month student lease renewed automatically?

No. It ends at its term without notice from either side. To stay longer you need a new lease, so raise it before signing.

Can international students receive housing aid from the CAF?

Since 1 July 2026, students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland on a student residence permit qualify only with a needs-based grant, a professional activity, or an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. Check before budgeting for it.

Updated 2 October 2026

Sources: Service-Public on lease types, the furnished lease, rental file documents, tenant’s insurance, Visale; Campus France on student housing. Information only, not legal advice: check amounts and conditions on the official sites.