19 Housing

Housing Selection Process

You will receive a housing preference form to rank your preferences in April. The more information you provide, the more helpful the form will be for the onsite staff that will help to identify your housing options.

The APA staff will then work on finding apartments, rented rooms, and rented rooms with board (host family) that are available.

It is important to know that the real estate market is complicated in Aix and that it is not easy to find housing for international and French students. We ask for your understanding that the accommodations you will occupy in Aix may not be your top choice, may not meet all your expectations and may not meet the standards you are used to. You will therefore need to be adaptable and flexible in your expectations of the housing.

Once options have been found, you will receive a presentation of currently available housing options (descriptions of specific places, photos, rent amounts, location in Aix, whether independent apartments or rooms in French households) and you’ll be asked to rank your preferences. If you are alone in your first choice, you will get this option; if several students want the same option, we will draw names to choose who gets it. Those remaining will typically still get their second, third, fourth or fifth choice. After your arrival, after an informational housing meeting, you will go to see your housing, meet your landlord/host, and sign a lease. You are NOT required to live in any of the housing options provided by APA, and that you are welcome to look for housing on your own. We provide these options just for your convenience. 

The APA staff is there to help you! Don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Students with any dietary restrictions should be prepared to live in apartments, as it is difficult if not impossible to find rented room & board situations where restrictions can be accommodated.

Please note that during the semester or the year, if you decide to change your accommodation, you must inform your landlord one month in advance and that it will be your responsibility to find another accommodation.

Making Your Choice

The city center of Aix, dating from the Middle Ages, is ringed by a circle of boulevards and squares and is called Aix intra-muros (i.e., Aix inside the walls). It’s a small-enough area to explore by foot and it includes most of the stores, businesses and entertainment spots.This part of the city is certainly very lively but since it is the oldest part of Aix, all the housing there (apartment or rooms) are located in very old buildings and rooms may seem rather small on the American scale.

A more recent development around the city center offers more modern apartments but is farther away from the city attractions, requiring longer walks or bus rides. Students should be aware that most buses do not run after 9:30 or 10:00 pm, or on Sundays.

When considering where you want to live, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Where Do I Want to Live? 

• In the city center, near the shops, restaurants, theaters.
• Near the university, 10 – 15 minutes on foot from the city center. Living near the university will mean living outside of the city center. It is important to consider that the bus does not run after 9:00 pm. However, rents tend to be less expensive near the university compared to living in the city center.
• Are you a night owl or a morning person? Do you like to go out?
• The building: its location, what floor the apartment is on, if there is an elevator or not, etc.
• The neighborhood: if there are shops, buses, etc.
• Is the electrical heating system, gas or central heating system? Central heating is preferred but most apartments tend to have electrical heating.  Electrical heating can be expensive, depending on your personal usage habits.

Link for a map of Aix city center

Map of Aix-en-Provence – outskirts

Rented Rooms

Renting a room in someone else’s apartment allows you to be in an environment where you are in contact with French-speaking persons and provides you with the opportunity to experience the daily life of the new culture you want to discover. Living with French hosts can be one of the most rewarding aspects of your time abroad. The level of integration students experience with their hosts will vary—some families will really integrate the students as part of their family; others may have a more detached approach. Living in a French environment will require that you adjust to French habits and constraints you may not be used to, and it can be a challenge to adapt to these new attitudes or customs. For example, electricity in France (and Europe) is expensive and people are careful to use much less of it than is the case in U.S. households. People usually turn off the lights when they leave a room. In addition, most French houses do not have an unlimited supply of hot water (which is expensive to heat with gas or electricity). Taking a long shower is thus inappropriate; in addition to its high cost, it means that nobody else in the family will get a shower until the water heater has had a chance to heat more water. You will have to pay particular attention to issues your hosts mention to you and this can be a challenging part of adapting to a new culture.

You may also dislike some aspects of your hosts’ habits or lifestyle; rather than rejecting them, you should keep an open mind and see this as a cultural and learning experience as well as an invaluable opportunity that is offered to you to practice your French on a regular basis.

Your hosts will typically be retired people, single parents with children, parents or single parents whose children have left to study elsewhere.  Due to the city’s high cost of living, there are very few traditional families (parents and children) living in the center of Aix.

You have access to the owners’ kitchen, toilet and bathroom, but meals are not provided. You may have to buy your own bed sheets, pillows and towels when you arrive. Typically utilities are included in the cost of the rented room, but you should confirm with your landlord.

For most of the rented room options, it is not possible to host friends/family who may visit you in Aix.

Apartments

Most apartments available in Aix are one-room apartments (studios) or two-room apartments (a bedroom and a living room). It is highly unlikely that you will be given an option for a large furnished apartment in the center of Aix, so do not plan on living with a large group of people. It is a challenge to find places for 3 people.

 If you want to share an apartment with somebody else from the program, you need to find a roommate before your arrival, and you will need to notify the APA staff about your preference.

Studios accommodate one person or can be furnished to accommodate two people. Two-room apartments have a living room and a bedroom for two people. Three-room apartments have a living room and two bedrooms.

All apartments have a bathroom and a kitchen. The kitchen usually includes a small refrigerator, a small electric hot plate (sometimes a stove) and kitchenware. You may bring your own linens or buy them in Aix, and you are advised to bring a sleeping bag which will be useful in your apartment (Aix can be cold in the winter!)  or for travel. Some apartments may also furnish comforters. Students choosing to live in an apartment should be aware that, in France, landlords take little responsibility for daily housekeeping. Please keep in mind that apartments in downtown Aix are older and will not have the same amenities that you are accustomed to.

Since French students do not return to Aix until mid-September, it is difficult to find French roommates. APA students usually share apartments with other students from the program. Whatever type of lodging you find, be prepared to spend money for additional pots and pans and dishes. Only minimal equipment is supplied.

What should I check during my visit to the apartment?

• In the apartment:
  • o Verify the state of the furniture, open the cupboards.
  • o Run the water, flush the toilet.
  • o Open the windows to test the noise.
  • o Ask if the heating system is electrical, gas or central heating system. Central heating is preferred but most apartments tend to have electrical heating.  Electrical heating can be expensive, depending on your personal usage habits.
  • o Verify that the doorbell works.
  • o Check the electrical box and wiring to make sure it is in good shape.
  • o Lock and unlock the door several times

Security Deposit (“Caution”) and Paying Rent

One of the first things you will do when you move into your lodging is pay a security deposit (or damage deposit, called caution in French), equal to a maximum of two months’ rent.

Some landlords may ask you to pay this deposit before your arrival in Aix in order to finalize the reservation of your accommodation. If this is the case, you will have to make a bank transfer from the USA (this may incur bank charges) to pay the deposit. The security deposit is reimbursed at the end of the rental period if no damages are found and if your lodging is thoroughly cleaned.  In order to get your full deposit back, you must carefully clean and repair or replace any broken objects (light bulbs, dishes, etc) and the household linen must be dry-cleaned.  It is strongly recommended that you take photos of your accommodations when you first move in to have as a reference when you leave at the end of your program.

Legally, the landlord has three months to give you back the deposit, however      some landlords are willing to give your money back when you move out of the apartment.

Rent is paid directly to your landlord at the beginning of each month. Payment can be made in cash or by local bank transfer in Euros. You can withdraw cash from an ATM in Aix, keeping in mind your daily withdrawal limits. If you choose to pay by bank transfer, the landlord will provide you with the details.

Rent:

• Rented rooms will cost approximately 550 – 650 Euros per person per month (rented room and board: 800 – 850 Euros)
• The average rent for a studio is approximately 600-800 Euros per month, plus utilities.
• The average rent for a two-room apartment is approximately 1100-1500 Euros per month; i.e. 600-750 Euros per person per month, plus utilities.

Lease (“Bail”):

If you find your own apartment, we suggest that you review your lease with the APA office before signing it, so that you can clarify any parts that you may have trouble translating. You should know who the landlord is and have his/her phone number. 

Things to consider:

• You and your landlord will have to agree upon occupancy dates.
• Is the contract “collective”, signed by all the roommates, sharing the same responsibilities? (This could imply some risks should there be damages to the apartment or if someone moves out. If you decide to break your lease, it is your responsibility to find other tenants to replace you.)
• For the rented room, there is not really a contract but you and your landlord must agree on the policy for vacating the room. If you decide to break your agreement, you are responsible for finding another student to replace you, and you must inform your landlord one month before your departure.
• Ask if the utilities are included or excluded from your rent. If they are not included, you will be responsible for utility costs (Wifi, gas and electricity) and for putting the utility account in your name. Utilities can cost between 60-80 euros/month. APA can help you with the process of paying for your utilities.
• Ask if there are any additional building fees or taxes that you will be expected to pay.
• Ask if you have to give verbal or written notice a month or two in advance of your departure.

Utilities (“Charges”):

Usually you do not have to pay utilities when you rent a room.

If you rent an apartment, ask if the utilities are included or excluded from your rent. They are usually excluded. If not included, you will be responsible for utility costs (Wifi, gas and electricity which run about 60/80 Euros per month per person) and for putting the utility account in your name.

For your information only, an estimated cost of your water consumption is often included in the utility bill.

As soon as you move into your apartment, APA will provide you with instructions for how to deal with the electricity, gas, and internet connection.

Internet is still much less common in France than it is in the US. Your lodging may not have internet access; if this is the case, you will have the possibility of ordering it for approximately 50 euros per month.

It is also advisable to ask your landlord if you will have other utilities or other costs related to your lodging.

In addition to the three main bills: electricity, gas, and internet, you may come across building fees. These are expenses shared by all those who live in your building to cover staircase cleaning and electrical power in common areas such as hallways/foyers. Ask if the building fees are included in the rent.