Good news, your child has just passed his/her BAC! He or she will be attending university in a large city, far from your family home. So you have to find a solution to house him during this academic year and the ones that will follow... You have to find a nice and not too expensive place to live.
The easy solution: the loan
By chance, you have invested in a small apartment and that is where your child has been taken to study. There are several options available to you.
You can lend him an apartment for free. He will not have to pay any rent. However, you will not have any income. Moreover, you will not be able to deduct from your rental income the expenses related to the building since you will not receive any rent. It is also possible to rent it to him. You will have to do it in writing - by drawing up a lease - and by fixing a rent in coherence with the local market prices. The administration tolerates an abatement of 10 %. You will then be able to deduct the rental charges from your tax return. The disadvantage is that your child will not be able to benefit from housing allowances. Be careful, if you have decided to rent your property while waiting to reserve it for your child for his or her studies, there are of course deadlines concerning notice periods that must be respected.
The most difficult thing to get: university housing from CROUS
The situation could be summarized as follows: "many called and few chosen". This is why, with nearly 600 establishments, university residences are the most popular solutions for young people and their parents. Managed by the CROUS (Centre régional des œuvres universitaires et scolaires), the rents charged defy all competition. Students are also eligible for social housing assistance (ALS) and are exempt from property tax. Ideally located, they are close to the place of study and well served by public transport. The bonus is the student atmosphere! But places are scarce. Only 11% of baccalaureate holders can access this type of housing. They are primarily intended for scholarship students whose families have low incomes. It is still worthwhile to apply because it is by far the most economical option. For a furnished room of 9 m2, you should expect to pay between 150 and 200 euros in rent and around 400 euros for a studio of 21 m2.
Do not confuse university housing with student residences
These are private residences managed by private groups. They consist of furnished studios or two-room apartments and offer services such as laundry and gym facilities. The rates are those of a classic rental.
The coolest : the shared apartment
For fans of the movie "L'auberge espagnole", sharing a flat is really the solution that all students dream of. But it's all about working...
It's the ideal way to reduce the rent, share expenses... with a more spacious apartment. Not to mention the conviviality and the possibility of making friends. You can share a flat with strangers or with your best friend who studies in the same city as you. A still little known variant of roommate housing is developing more and more: intergenerational housing, which gives you the opportunity to have inexpensive housing, or even free in some cases. The principle is simple: in exchange for a free room or a moderate rent, the young person will help the elderly person to do his shopping, will render him small services (small DIY jobs...). A win-win solution for both parties. But be careful, as for a "classic" roommate, before getting involved, it is necessary to evaluate the implications of the cohabitation and to verify that the future roommates will be able to get along!
Stéphanie Swiklinski