It is easy to find housing in Paris with our help because summer is a tenant’s market. The overwhelming majority of our students sublet apartments for the duration of the program. Some apartments are located through the internet. Most students live in apartments they find through USD. Shortly before the beginning of the program, we place ads in Paris publications that usually result in us being deluged with apartment offers. We screen those offers for dates of availability so that you pay only for the time you need to occupy the unit; reduced security deposit (½ month instead of 1-2 months); proximity to the Institute (either walking distance or a quick métro ride); and suitable arrangements for move-out and return of your security deposit. Many of these apartments have been rented to USD students in past summers.
When you arrive at our office, you will see a large map with pins. Those pins are color-coded by size of apartment, and indicate where the apartments are located. When you tell us you are interested in a particular apartment, we will contact the owner and make arrangements for you to view the apartment with the owner. It is up to you to strike a deal with the owner that is agreeable to both of you.
If you will need our help to find housing, it is best to arrive in Paris no later than the Thursday before the program begins. Our office is not open on weekends, and French landlords are often absent from Paris on weekends, so unable to show their apartments then.
In general, students pay less per person for an apartment housing more than one student than they do for a student seeking housing alone. Apartments within walking distance of school are usually more expensive than apartments requiring travel by public transportation. Apartment price will also depend on quality of the furnishings, view, neighborhood, and your skill as a negotiator.
Housing possibilities include studios (usually for 1 person, or 2 who like each other quite a lot), 1-bedroom apartments (for 1-2 people), 2 bedroom apartments (for 2-3 people), and occasionally larger apartments. We also have rooms for rent in apartments of French people. Often, the apartment owners are absent for a good portion of the summer.
The Institute is located at the Centre Malher in the 4th arrondissement at métro St. Paul on métro line #1 (La Defense-Vincennes). Any apartment within the 3rd or 4th arrondissement will be within walking distance, and some apartments in the 1st , 5th , 11th and 12th will also be within walking distance. Apartments located on the #1 metro line will be an easy commute. How long a commute will depend on how many stops it is from St. Paul (figure 80 seconds per stop), and how far your apartment is located from the nearest métro stop.
We strongly recommend that students not live outside the limits of the city of Paris except for close-in cities like Neuilly, St. Mandé Tourelle, or Vincennes, even though places in the suburbs are usually less costly, . You are only there for a short time; you should not spend much of it commuting. In addition, in the suburbs you are unlikely to be very near a métro stop, and the cost of public transport rises.
Typically, landlords require payment in cash of the entire rent in advance, and a security deposit of 1/2 to one month’s rent, to be returned when you move out. Electricity is usually, but not always, included in the rent.
Your apartment will usually be fully furnished and equipped with cooking and eating utensils, towels and bedlinens. Beds are often mattresses on the floor, futons or pull-out couches. Some apartments have washing machines; none have dryers. One uses the laundromat in the neighborhood. Many apartments do not have working telephones. Those that have phones are usually on a limited service that permits the receipt of calls from anywhere, but limits phones you can call to land lines within the city of Paris. Some apartments have access to the internet (and sometimes you can tap into a neighbor’s wifi). Occasionally, landlords leave dishwashers, microwaves or VCRs for your use. It is the very unusual Paris apartment that provides air conditioning.
Some students who wish to make housing arrangements in advance of arrival may make arrangements through the internet or an agency, though this is usually more expensive than finding a place once you arrive, or stay in dormitory rooms at the Cité Universitaire. The Cité Universitaire is not usually less expensive than subletting an apartment, but arrangements can be made in advance. One should estimate that it will require 45 minutes door-to-door from the Cité Universitaire to the Centre Malher.
It is important to have a place to stay for the night you arrive in Paris. This is especially true if you are arriving on a trans-Atlantic flight, or if you are arriving after noon. It becomes much more difficult to find inexpensive hotel rooms as the day wears on. With your acceptance letter, we will send you further information about hotels near the Institute. Most students stay in a hotel for 2-3 nights on arrival.
Here are some tips on housing that students from prior Institutes have provided: Hostels and Hotels
Here are some tips on housing that students from prior Institutes have provided:
Hostels and Hotels
Offers both hostels and hotel rooms. Click on France, then "Paris" without any modifer.
After you have done your search you should sort through them by "rating." [It would be convenient if you could sort by arrondissment, but you cannot. If you know Paris, click "open map", enlarge it, and you can see which hostel is where.] It will sort by highest rated first, then if you click into the hostel and scroll to the bottom it will give you a breakdown of their ratings, and if you click on "click here to view ratings and reviews" then you can read what people have said about the hostel. I wouldn't go through Europe any other way................................................Jessica Schroeder-USD student
Flash Booking -- pictures of available places. (this site can be a bit slow when downloading)
Allstays - Paris Hotels, Hostel's, B & B's, Guest Houses
Living with Host Families in Paris
Accommodation is provided in family apartments (or less often individual houses) which are reasonably spacious and which have, as a minimum, a single (around 33 euros per night for bed and breakfast; add 9 euros for dinner)or double room (around 28 euros per night bed and breakfast; add 6 euros for dinner), furnished with a desk and storage space. In the case of a double room, there are two separate beds. Usually, the bathroom is shared with the host family. The kitchen is part of the common living areas. You should contact them directly, via their web site, for dates and pricing.