What is Visale and how do I benefit from it?

Visale is a free rental guarantee offered by Action Logement. It covers unpaid rents and rental damage for landlords. For students under 30, with no income conditions. The process: create a dossier on visale.fr before signing the lease, obtain a Visale attestation, and provide it to the landlord. The landlord must also accept Visale and register on visale.fr. Everything is done online, free of charge.

Is Visale available for international students?

Yes, Visale is accessible to international students under 30 residing in France, regardless of nationality. There are no income conditions for students. However, your landlord must accept Visale — not all do. In tight rental markets (Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux), Visale acceptance is more common than in less competitive areas.

What is Garantme and how much does it cost?

Garantme is a private rental guarantee company. It replaces the personal guarantor with a paid guarantee: 3.5% of the monthly rent including charges. For example, for a rent of 700 € all-in, Garantme costs 24.50 €/month. The process is 100% online and a decision is given within 24–48 hours. Garantme is accepted by the majority of individual landlords and estate agencies.

Do you need income to obtain Visale or Garantme?

For Visale (student under 30): no income conditions at all. For Garantme: your resources are assessed, but students can be accepted with a financial guarantor (parents or school), even without personal income. Garantme also accepts scholarship holders and students with a complete international dossier.

What is the rent ceiling for Visale?

Visale covers rents up to 1,500 €/month in Île-de-France and 1,300 €/month in other regions (2026 ceilings). Above these amounts, Visale does not apply and you must turn to Garantme or a personal guarantor. For CROUS housing and the vast majority of student studios, rents remain well below these ceilings.

What exactly does Visale cover in case of unpaid rent?

Visale covers: unpaid rents throughout the lease (up to 36 cumulative months), unpaid charges, and rental damage recorded on the exit inventory (ceiling of 2 months' rent excluding charges). Action Logement reimburses the landlord and then seeks reimbursement from the tenant. For the tenant, Visale acts as a guarantor — in case of financial difficulties, Action Logement can offer repayment terms.

Visale vs Garantme: Which Rental Guarantee for International Students?

Quick Comparison

Criterion	Visale	Garantme
Cost	Free	3.5% of monthly rent
Income conditions	None (students under 30)	Assessed (guarantor accepted)
Provider	Action Logement (public)	Private company
Process	visale.fr (online)	garantme.fr (online)
Decision time	24–48 hours	24–48 hours
Landlord acceptance	Not always (must register)	Generally accepted
Coverage	Up to 36 months unpaid rent	Up to 36 months unpaid rent
Rent ceiling	1,500 €/month (IDF), 1,300 € (other)	No ceiling

Official Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Visale? Free rental guarantee from Action Logement for students under 30 — no income conditions, apply on visale.fr before signing.

Is Visale for international students? Yes, regardless of nationality, under 30 with a French address.

Visale vs Garantme — which to choose? Start with Visale (free). If your landlord refuses Visale, use Garantme (3.5% of rent/month).

Rent ceiling for Visale? 1,500 €/month in Île-de-France, 1,300 €/month elsewhere (2026).

Visale vs Garantme: Rental Guarantee Compared

Visale vs Garantme: Which Rental Guarantee for International Students?

Quick Comparison

Official Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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Visale vs Garantme: Rental Guarantee Compared

Visale vs Garantme: Which Rental Guarantee for International Students?

Quick Comparison

Official Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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