Have you just arrived in Poitiers and need to find a place to live? Depending on the length of your stay and your financial resources, different options are available whether it be for a temporary or a permanent stay.
Get your bearings in Poitiers
Before moving to Poitiers, it is important to be able to navigate around the town. Here is a map of Poitiers with the places sorted by category (museums, restaurants, parks, hobbies, shops...), translated into 8 languages.
http://www.ot-poitiers.fr/accueil/decouvrir/planinteractif.aspx
To get a better understanding of the regulations of accommodation in France, here is a glossary of accommodation vocabulary.
Housing assistance
If you are coming to Poitiers for a short amount of time or if you are waiting for permanent accommodation, here are a few pointers to find accommodation suitable for your situation and your budget.
CAF financial aid for foreigners in France :
https://www.caf.fr/international/francais-a-l-etranger-etrangers-en-france
Financial aid offered by the CAF (Family Allowance Fund)
Whatever your status (student, trainee, employee...), if you receive a modest income, the CAF (Family allowance fund) can grant you an aid for you to pay your rent.
There are 3 types of aids, that can't be accumulated: the APL (Individualised Housing Assistance), the AFL (Family Housing Allowance) and the ALS (Social Housing Allowance).
To benefit from these aids, there are some compulsory criteria: decent accommodation (a surface area of at least 9m2, minimum amount of comfort, conformity with security requirements); rent receipt and lease in the name of the person asking for the aid.
For more information:
www.caf.fr/actualites/2016/aide-au-logement-etudiant
Explanatory videos
For foreign students: financial aid explained in English, Chinese and Spanish.
The CAF telephone number for students: 0 810 29 29 29
Temporary accommodation : Poitiers' Youth Hostel
The Youth Hostel can accommodate you individually, in a group or as a family. It offers bedrooms with 1 to 7 beds that cost 15€40/night each. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and picnics are available. The Youth Hostel is equipped to accommodate people with a motor disability.
Youth Hostel in Poitiers
1 Allée Roger Tagault
86000 Poitiers
Tél. +33 (0) 5 49 30 09 70
www.hifrance.org/auberge-de-jeunesse/poitiers.html
Youth Residence
Youth Residencies accommodate people between 16 and 30 years of age, for the length of stay.
Résidence Habitat Jeunes Kennedy
1 avenue John Fitzgerald Kennedy
86000 Poitiers
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 49 47 52 00
contact@espacekennedy.com
www.residencekennedy.com
Youth Residence Le Local Poitiers “L'Amarr'HAJ”: from T1 to T4, shares are available, minimum stay: one night.
ZI République 1
Site de la Maison de la Formation CCI
118 rue du Porteau
86000 Poitiers
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 49 47 72 24
Youth Residence Le Local Poitiers “L'Ancr'HAJ”: T1 and T1', minimum stay: 1 month.
16 rue Saint Pierre le Puellier
86000 Poitiers
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 49 62 84 83
University accommodation
The International Relations Directorate will help you, depending on the number of places available, to find accommodation. To be eligible, you must send the registration card and your demand for accommodation even if you have already found housing.
The CROUS offers foreign students rooms in it's residences. All information and financial aid in the international section on the CROUS website, available in English.
Accommodation for short stays is available (nightly, weekly, fortnight...), especially during the summer, for small prices, in well placed and equipped accommodation.
11 rue de la Devinière – building B10
86000 Poitiers
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 49 44 53 35
cite.rabelais@crous-poitiers.fr
www.crous-poitiers.fr/logements/hebergement-temporaire/
Rent in the private sector
You can find accommodation offers from private individuals on the Internet.
Real-estate offers
Some useful websites:
www.leboncoin.fr
www.pap.fr
www.fnaim.fr
www.seloger.com
www.immobilier.notaires.fr
www.lokaviz.fr (centre of the Crous reserved for students)
Don't forget that there are Facebook groups dedicated to finding rental accommodation and flat-shares.
Stay vigilant!
Beware of fraud on Internet that asks you for an amount of money to reserve the accommodation. Never send money!
Beware also of agents who sell lists of accommodation available in exchange a advance payment... without guaranteeing finding you accommodation. Avoid all advance payments in order to get an address.
Collaborative websites
Private collaborative websites such as airbnb or leboncoin offers accommodation directly between private individuals. They have the advantage to offer attractive prices (without agency fees) and ease of use. This method of accommodation is less reliable than going directly through traditional structures (private or public real estate agencies), make sure to check your rights and the quality of the accommodation and the legality of the contract.
Flat shares
Are you looking for a flat with friends or if you are looking for a flat share as your next home? Flat share allow you to share the cost of the rental and to get to know more people. With Poitiers' Erasmus network, ESN (Erasmus Student Network's Facebook) you can easily find flatmates from different places around the world and benefit from their mutual support network.
