Make your student life easier
Make your student life easier
Make your student life easier

Glossary

When you are looking for accommodation, you will come across a host of new terms. Learn what they mean to move with confidence.

Guarantor
A guarantor is a person who guarantees to pay your rent if you are unable to do so. You will have to pay back your guarantor later.

Security deposit
This is the sum that the landlord or lessor will require from the tenant to cover against the risk of property damage and unpaid rent, or to make repairs.

Inventory (État des lieux)
The inventory is a document that describes in detail the condition of the housing and its fixtures. It is done on the day the tenant moves in and when he/she moves out. It is important to keep a copy of the inventory of the fixtures. So if there was any damage even before you moved in, you will be protected and will not have to pay for repairs. Conversely, if there is any damage that does not appear in the inventory, the student will have to pay for this repair.

Lease / rental agreement
The lease is a contract that requires the tenant to pay monthly rent over a given period, in exchange for the use of movable or immovable property.  

Flat-sharing agreement
Sample lease for flat sharing.

Home insurance
Home insurance insures a dwelling and the assets that are inside. In other words, in the event of a disaster, fire, water damage, theft, etc. the owner or tenant will be refunded. The tenant is required to take out home insurance.

Typical rental offer (example for landlords)
A rental offer must be clear and attractive at the same time.

  •  The title: it must contain the most important information for the student: the description (apartment or house or other) the number of rooms ("T1", "T2", "T3", etc.)
  • The surface area in sq. m. The location may also be indicated, for example, the name of the district, if it is located in the city centre.
  • The rent will be written below.

For example: Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, T4 85 m² / Rent €1300 (in general the rent is indicated underneath on most classified ad websites, but separated from the title. If this is not the case, add it to the title).

The ad is broken down into two parts:

  • A summary of the accommodation:

Monthly rent (charges included or not, specify)
City
Type of property (apartment or house)
Number of rooms
Furnished or not
Surface area
GHG (Greenhouse Gases)
Energy class

  • As well as a precise description of the accommodation:

Description of the area (district name, nearby metro, shops, neighbourhood, etc.)
Description of the location (building, floor, parking or not, bright, etc.)
Description of the rooms (number of rooms, size, fixtures, if there is a mezzanine, a floor, etc.)
Monthly rent and detailed charges (rent without charges, security deposit, fee if you go through an agency, amount of charges, etc.)
Contact (phone and e-mail in general)