The dossier and the guarantor: how to actually get a Paris flat
Renting · 8 min read · Reviewed
Paris does not have Geneva's vacancy problem, but it has a paperwork problem that is at least as effective at keeping people out. Flats are let on the strength of a dossier, and the dossier carries one requirement that most people arriving from Britain cannot meet.
That requirement is the garant: a French-resident third party who signs to cover the rent if you do not, and who is generally expected to earn three to four times it. Without one, a large share of the private market is closed to you regardless of what you earn.
There are three real ways round it, and knowing which one applies to you before you start viewing is worth more than any amount of searching.
What the dossier contains, and what may not be asked for
French law limits what a landlord may demand. The permitted list is set out in decree, and anything outside it — a bank statement, a photograph, a medical record, proof of a French bank account before signature — is not lawfully required, however routinely it is asked for.
In practice you will be competing against files that include the extras anyway. The pragmatic position is to have a complete lawful dossier ready as a single PDF, and to decline the requests that go beyond it, which most agents drop when challenged.
Income evidence is the part that decides it. Landlords look for roughly three times the rent in net monthly income, and they apply the same test to the guarantor.
What a landlord may lawfully ask for
- One piece of photo identification
- Proof of your current address: a utility bill, or your last three rent receipts
- Proof of activity: an employment contract, a school or university certificate, or company registration
- Proof of income: your last three payslips, or your most recent tax assessment
- The same documents again for your guarantor, where you have one
Charges are quoted separately from rent and they are not small. A flat advertised at €1,200 hors charges can cost €1,320 in practice once heating, water, building maintenance and the household waste charge are provisioned.
The guarantor problem, and the three ways round it
Visale is the state-backed free guarantee scheme run by Action Logement. It covers anyone aged 18 to 30 whatever their employment status, and older tenants in defined situations including a recent job change. It is free, landlords accept it, and it is the first thing to check — a great many British arrivals qualify on age alone and never find out.
Paid guarantor services such as GarantMe and Unkle charge a percentage of the annual rent, typically in the region of three to five per cent, and issue a guarantee a landlord will take. It is a real cost, and a small one next to an extra month in temporary accommodation.
The third route is a caution bancaire: a sum frozen in a French bank account as security. It works, it ties up a lot of money, and it requires a French bank account — which is its own small ordeal for someone who has just arrived.
Furnished, unfurnished and the mobility lease
The distinction matters more here than in Britain because it changes the length of the contract. An unfurnished lease runs three years; a furnished one runs a year, renewable. Furnished flats cost more per month and are far more common at the small end of the market.
The bail mobilité is a furnished lease of one to ten months, non-renewable, aimed at people on a course, a secondment or a fixed assignment. It carries no deposit at all, and Visale covers it. For a first few months while you find something permanent it is often the cleanest option available.
Deposits are capped: one month for unfurnished, two for furnished, nothing on a mobility lease. Agency fees charged to the tenant are capped by area too, so a Paris agent may not charge you an open-ended finder's fee.
The colocation route, and what it changes
Sharing is normal here well beyond student age, and it solves two problems at once: the rent per head falls, and several products aimed at sharers apply lighter guarantor requirements.
Read the clause de solidarité. Most colocation leases make every tenant jointly liable for the whole rent, so if a flatmate leaves you carry their share until they are replaced. A lease with an individual contract per room avoids that, and is usually worth paying slightly more for.
Charges in a share are generally pooled and settled annually against the building's real costs, so expect an adjustment in one direction or the other some months after the year ends.
Common questions
Can I rent in Paris without a French guarantor?
Yes, but not by default. Check Visale first: it is free, state-backed, and covers everyone aged 18 to 30 whatever their job. Failing that, a paid guarantor service charges a few per cent of the annual rent, or you can freeze a sum in a French bank account as a caution bancaire.
How much do I need to earn to be accepted for a Paris flat?
Landlords generally look for around three times the rent in net monthly income and apply the same test to a guarantor. That is a screening rule rather than an affordability one, so it is entirely possible to be turned down for a flat you could comfortably pay for.
What is a bail mobilité?
A furnished lease of between one and ten months, non-renewable, for people on a course, a secondment or a temporary assignment. It requires no deposit, Visale covers it, and it is often the most realistic first contract for someone who has just arrived and cannot yet assemble a full dossier.