How to find accomodation

Who found their own accommodation?

According to our survey, 61% of people had to find accommodation by themselves when they came to Marseille. Most of them were working people, but some were also students or civic service volunteers. 39% of people, on the other hand, did not need to actively look for accomodation. Most of them were students or volunteers who had access to accommodation through these activities.

Accomodation for students

There are residences specifically for students, offering access to low-cost studio apartments.

CROUS offers student housing—including budget-friendly rooms and studios—and can also award university grants. Applications can be made directly on their site.

The platform Studapart has listings mainly aimed at students, and Estudines offers residences specifically designed for student life.

General accomodation

AFEV is an organisation which helps young people in Marseille find accommodation, through their Solidarity House Share program. The house shares are affordable and require flatmates to contribute to local social cohesion projects.

If you like flatshares (colocation in French), the online platform ‘la carte des colocs’ is a good place to search for available rooms in flatshares. You just need to register on the site, describe what you’re looking for, and contact any flatshare listings that interest you.

Another good method for finding flatshares is the good old-fashioned way: Facebook groups! Just type ‘Marseille colocation’ in the search bar.

If you’re not a student and you’re planning to stay in Marseille for a long time, there are various sites and applications you can try:

The application Jinka brings together housing ads from different sites and gives you speedy notifications when there are new publications.

Leboncoin is a classified ads website where you can buy all kinds of second-hand objects at affordable prices (furniture, decoration, crockery) and even find a place to rent (but watch out, there are many scams!) There are also ads concerning pets for adoption.

You can also go through an agency, but it won’t come for free!

Accomodation for visitors

If you’re coming to discover Marseille over just a few days, there are of course youth hostels that will welcome you with open arms. With their dormitories and communal kitchens, you’re sure to meet people! You can find many listings for hostels on Booking.com, but it’s best to go onto the hostels’ own website to make your booking. It’s often cheaper that way, because Booking.com will ask you for a reservation fee.

There are of course also Airbnbs, if you prefer something more intimate or you’re part of a group. For a similar but more ethical experience, try Fairbnb, whose profits are reinvested in social projects for the local community.

For a completely different experience, we recommend Couchsurfing. You pay a tiny sum (5.99€/month or 22.99€/year) to register on the site, and then you’re hosted by people in their homes! It’s a practical way to meet locals who often have good tips for enjoying their city.

If you’re travelling by bike and you also want to stay with locals, you can check out Warmshowers, the community of touring cyclists!

We also recommend you look on Facebook where students often advertise short-term sublets for their accommodation.

Helpful tips:

Make sure you prepare your rental application file well in advance, because if you’re a student or don’t have sufficient income, you’ll need one or more guarantors. Guarantors (usually your parents) are people who promise to pay your rent if you don’t.

If you can’t find anyone to be a guarantor for you, you can apply for the Visale rental guarantee. Not all landlords accept this kind of guarantee, however.

Don’t forget to think carefully about the distance between your accommodation and your university—proximity is often overlooked! You can check out our pages dedicated to Marseille’s different districts.

Through the Caisse d’Allocations Familiales or CAF for short (the Family Allocations Office), you can get financial help with your rent.

You’ll need to check that your accommodation is eligible for housing benefit (known as APL) in order to get help from the CAF. Don’t forget to ask your future landlord about this!

Finally, it may seem obvious, but make sure to read over your contract carefully to be sure you’re aware of what you’re committing to.

Header photo : Léa PRADEL