APL vs ALS: Which Housing Aid Should You Claim?

If you have just signed a lease in France and started researching housing benefit, you have probably encountered two acronyms — APL and ALS — without a clear explanation of which one you should apply for. The short answer: you do not choose. The CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) decides for you based on your address. The longer answer is worth understanding, because the type of housing you rent and your eligibility status determine how much money you receive each month — potentially hundreds of euros.

French Housing Benefits: An Overview

The CAF administers three main housing benefits in France:

1. APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement) — for housing under a government convention
2. ALS (Allocation de Logement Sociale) — for housing without a convention
3. ALF (Allocation de Logement Familiale) — for families with dependent children (generally not relevant for single students)

For the vast majority of international students, the relevant benefits are APL and ALS. The key distinction is the type of housing you occupy, not any choice you make during the application.

APL vs ALS: Full Comparison Table

Who Gets APL and Who Gets ALS?

Conventioned Housing: APL

Conventioned housing refers to properties where the landlord has signed a formal agreement with the French state. Under this convention, the landlord accepts rent ceilings in exchange for tax advantages. The following housing types are always conventioned:

• All CROUS student residences across France
• HLM (Habitations à Loyer Modéré) social housing — rare for newly arrived international students, as waiting lists are long
• Some private student residences operated under a convention (Nexity Studéa, some Adoma, Kardham, Studélites properties)
• Some private landlord properties where the owner signed an individual convention with the CAF or ANAH

To find out whether your flat is conventioned: ask your landlord or letting agency directly. The convention status is sometimes listed in the rental advertisement or in the lease itself.

Non-Conventioned Housing: ALS

The large majority of private rentals in France — studios and flats let by individual landlords or standard letting agencies — are not conventioned. If you rent one of these, you will receive ALS.

As a practical example: a student renting a studio at €850 per month in Paris with qualifying income and EU status would receive approximately €240 per month in ALS for 2025-2026. The same student in Toulouse with a €500 monthly rent would receive approximately €160 per month.

Eligibility: Who Can Apply in 2026?

The July 2026 reform significantly narrowed eligibility for international students. Here is the current picture:

Eligible Students

• All students who are EU, EEA, or Swiss nationals
• Non-EU students holding a French state scholarship (Eiffel Excellence, CROUS scholarship, or a foreign government scholarship officially recognised by France)
• Students in certain bilateral agreement situations (check with your country's French embassy)

No Longer Eligible Since July 2026

• Non-EU students without a recognised state scholarship, even if they have been tax residents in France for several years
• Students whose visa type is not a long-term student visa (VLS-TS)

If you are unsure of your status, use the Meridiane CAF Calculator to check your eligibility and get an estimated benefit amount based on your city, rent, and situation.

How Much Will You Receive?

The exact amount depends on four factors:

1. Your rent — the higher your rent (up to the applicable ceiling), the higher the benefit
2. Your income — the CAF uses your income from two years ago (so 2024 income for a 2026 application). Students with zero or near-zero income in France receive the highest amounts
3. Your city — rent ceilings and reference amounts vary by geographic zone (Zone 1 for Paris, Zone 2 for large cities, Zone 3 for smaller towns)
4. Whether you are in conventioned housing — APL amounts are slightly higher than ALS for identical rents

Illustrative Amounts for Students With No French Income (2025-2026)

These are indicative amounts. Use the official CAF simulator for a precise calculation based on your exact situation.

Step-by-Step Application Guide

Step 1: Create Your CAF Account

Go to caf.fr and create your personal space. You will need:

• Your French Social Security number (numéro de Sécurité sociale) — you receive this from Ameli after registering with the French health insurance system
• Your rental lease (bail de location) signed by both you and your landlord
• Your bank account details (RIB — relevé d'identité bancaire) for a French account
• Your French residence permit or visa (titre de séjour or VLS-TS)
• Your income documents from two years ago (or a declaration of zero income if you had none)

Step 2: Start the Housing Benefit Application

Inside your CAF account, select 'Mes aides' and then 'Aide au logement'. The CAF system will ask for your address and automatically determine whether APL or ALS applies. You do not make this choice yourself.

Step 3: Enter Your Rental Details

Provide your monthly rent amount (excluding charges), your lease start date, and the number of people sharing the flat. If you are in a shared flat, enter only your personal share of the rent.

Step 4: Declare Your Income

The CAF calculates your benefit based on your income from two years prior. As a student who arrived in France recently, you likely had little or no taxable income in France in the reference year. Declare this honestly — the CAF adjusts your benefit annually.

Step 5: Submit and Wait

Once submitted, the CAF reviews your file within two to four weeks. You will receive a confirmation letter (notification de droits) by post and by email. Your first payment covers the month following your application date — not the month your lease started.

Special Case: CROUS Student Residences

If you live in a CROUS student residence, the process is slightly different. CROUS residences are always conventioned, so you automatically receive APL. The CROUS transmits the required housing information to the CAF on your behalf.

However, you still need to:

1. Create your personal CAF account on caf.fr
2. Complete the housing benefit application yourself
3. Provide your bank details for payment

Do not assume the CROUS handles everything — the CAF account and application are always your responsibility.

Shared Flats: How Housing Benefit Works for Each Flatmate

House-sharing (colocation) is increasingly popular among students as a way to reduce rent. Each flatmate can claim housing benefit independently, based on their individual share of the rent.

If you have individual leases (baux individuels): Each person applies separately and declares their own rent. The CAF treats each applicant as an independent tenant.

If you have a joint lease (bail commun): Each flatmate applies separately on caf.fr and declares their share of the total rent. Divide the rent equally by the number of tenants unless the lease specifies different shares.

Important: The total rent declared across all flatmates cannot exceed the actual total rent. The CAF cross-checks these figures.

What Happens When Your Income Changes?

The CAF calculates your benefit annually based on your income from two years prior. However, since 2021, a quarterly recalculation system is in place that uses more recent income data (the past three months) to adjust your benefit more frequently.

Practical implications:

• If you start a student job or internship, report your income change on caf.fr promptly — failure to do so can result in overpayment recovery
• If your income drops significantly, you can request an early recalculation
• Benefits are reviewed every April based on the previous year's tax return

Key Dates and Payment Calendar

Payments arrive in your French bank account between the 5th and 10th of each month for the previous month's entitlement.

Estimating Your Benefit Before You Apply

Before committing to a lease, it is worth estimating your likely benefit to understand your real monthly housing cost. Two tools are available:

Official CAF simulator: caf.fr — Calculez vos aides. Enter your rent, city, income, and the number of people in the flat to get an official estimate. Note that it does not ask whether you will receive APL or ALS — it calculates both and shows whichever applies.

Meridiane CAF Calculator: Use /tools/caf-calculator for a guided estimate that also checks your eligibility under the July 2026 reform rules and shows the difference between APL and ALS amounts for your specific city and rent.

Official Sources

• CAF — Housing benefit information — official CAF page on APL, ALS, and ALF
• CAF housing benefit simulator — official eligibility and amount calculator
• Service-Public.fr — APL — official government guide to APL
• Service-Public.fr — ALS — official government guide to ALS
• CROUS — Student housing — CROUS residence search and application portal