Ads on Studapart display several pieces of information: here are what they contain and how to understand it.
What are charges? How are they calculated?
Service charges are expenses covering the costs of living in the accommodation. Most common charges are:
Water (cold water, hot water, collective heating in dwellings as well as in common areas)
Individual heating plants
Maintenance of the building’s common areas
Maintenance of outdoor areas (garden, parking space…)
Overall hygiene of the building
The equipment of the building (ventilation, elevator... )
Taxes (waste collection…)
What does IC (including charges) mean ?
A rent with the IC “including charges” mention means the price displayed includes the rent and associated service charges. There won’t be extra costs for charges.
Is the rent displayed on the ad the final price I pay?
Not necessarily. If the accommodation is eligible for state housing allowances, you can apply for them with the Caisse d’Allocations Familiales so they transfer you a monthly sum to help you pay rent. The aid you receive can range from €100 to up to more than €300 depending on the city and your personal situation.
What is a guarantor?
A guarantor is a relative or an organization providing financial guarantee to your landlord in case you default in the payment of your rent. In France, renters almost systematically require tenants to provide information about his guarantor in his application.
An ad mentions "minimum duration". What does it mean?
Renters can mention a minimum duration in their renting conditions. The minimum duration refers to the minimum period of your stay in the accommodation. For example, if the minimum duration displayed on the ad is 3 months, it means that the landlord requires you book the accommodation for at least 3 months and does not accept shorter stays.
What does “shared bathroom” mean?
In shared accommodation, the “shared bathroom” mention means you share the bathroom with one or several flatmates.
A residence has application fees. Is it normal?
Residences operate independently from Studapart. They apply their own application/booking fees. When booking in a student residence, the residence’s fees apply, but there aren’t any Studapart booking fees.
What does F1, T2, T1 mean?
These mentions refer to the number of rooms in the dwelling - excluding kitchen and bathroom. For example, T1s have one room, a kitchen and a bathroom; T2s have two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. The difference between a studio apartment and a T1 is that there is usually no separation between the kitchen area and the main room in a studio apartment. The letters F and T mean the same thing: an F3 is equivalent to a T3.
What is a security deposit?
The security deposit is an amount you pay the landlord when your lease agreement is signed. It is returned to you in full when you leave the accommodation on condition that the inventory of fixtures on leaving is in conformity with the inventory of fixtures on entering, i.e. on condition that no deterioration has been observed in the accommodation.
The amount of the security deposit is decided by the landlord and indicated on the ad. It can’t exceed the equivalent of one month's rent for empty accommodation, and the equivalent of two months' rent for furnished accommodation.