The Lexicon of student real estate

Real estate agency

Term designating a business (often a company) whose function is to offer its services and resources for the negotiation and advice in real estate matters: sale and rental, advice on purchase, valuation of goods ...

ALS

Social Housing Allowance: Allowance intended for people with low income and meeting predefined income conditions. It is paid to beneficiaries through the Caisses d'Allocations Familiales (CAF).

APL

Personalized Housing Assistance: This is personal assistance, intended for tenants, first-time buyers, owners or occupants of housing who have benefited from loans assisted or approved by the State. The determination of its amount depends on several conditions of means and its family situation. The beneficiaries receive this assistance directly from the Family Allowance Fund (CAF).

Insurance

Agreement by which, in return for a premium, insurers undertake to indemnify any damage.

Assurance habitation

Home insurance is intended for private homes and their annexes. Its main objective is to cover the risks concerning the premises, their content and the civil liability of its occupants.

Bail

Document defining the contractual relationship between owner and tenant. Some are subject to specific regulations, others are subject to the free will of the parties within the framework of the provisions of the Civil Code. They are also called « rental agreement ».

Bail nu

A naked lease is a lease drawn up for rented accommodation "naked" or unfurnished.

Furnished lease

A furnished lease is a rental contract drawn up for furnished rented accommodation, i.e. accommodation with sufficient furniture to allow the tenant to sleep, eat and live there decently.

Landlord

Person who gives real estate for rent.

Bourses

Financial aid granted to people with special conditions of resources. It is a pension granted to a pupil, to a student for the duration of his studies.

CAF

Caisse d'Allocations Familiales: Public body responsible for paying family aid. In the field of real estate, CAF pays various housing aid such as the APL, ALS or ALF.

Deposit

Commitment made by a third party to guarantee the payment of a mortgage in the event of default by the borrower, or the payment of rents in place of the tenant in title.

City U

A city U , or university city, is a type of student accommodation managed by the CROUS. They are subject to special access conditions, in particular having a CROUS grant to be able to apply for housing.

Recoverable charges

It is all the costs incurred by the lessor that he can be reimbursed by his tenant. Recoverable charges are separate from the main rent. They concern expenses relating to the routine maintenance of the property, the equipment mentioned in the contract, as well as minor repairs and certain taxes.

Flatshare

Colocation is the sharing of a rental or accommodation. After signing their lease with the landlord, co-tenants all have the same rights and duties vis-à-vis the landlord.

Conciliation

Conciliation refers to an amicable dispute settlement practice assisted by a third party, before any legal proceedings.

Security deposit

The security deposit is a sum of money entrusted as a guarantee for the performance of the contract. In the case of a rental, it is given to the lessor by the tenant when he enters the premises, and is returned to him at the end of the rental on condition that he has paid his rents and charges and properly maintained the property.

Rental file

A rental file is a set of documents allowing the landlord or owner to assess the situation of a tenant in order to consider a housing application. The documents requested make it possible to verify the activity, home and resources of the potential candidate.

Inventory

Document establishing at the entry and exit of the premises of the tenant the condition of a building or accommodation. The inventory is compulsory for empty and furnished accommodation. Established in front of a bailiff or between the tenant and the lessor), its purpose is to demonstrate the damage committed by the tenant.

Tax authorities

Set of services responsible for establishing and collecting taxes.

Force majeure

Unpredictable and insurmountable event that prevents a person from performing their obligations normally. The person undergoing force majeure may be exonerated from his obligations if this is characterized.

Student hostel

A student hostel is a building, often small in size, which offers a few individual or collective student rooms for rent. These establishments are mainly managed by associations, often religious.

Residence manager

Person present on site, in serviced residences, and who manages the daily management of the residence.

HLM

Habitation à Loyer Modéré : Social housing built with financial assistance from the State by HLM organizations, in the form of apartment buildings or even individual houses.

Property tax

Also called property tax, property tax is payable by all owners of real estate.

Local taxes

Also known as "housing tax". Taxes collected by local authorities (municipalities, departments, regions) payable by the tenant.

Rental investment

Refers to a real estate purchase intended to be leased to obtain rental income.

Location

Premises, land, accommodation ... made available to an occupant against the payment of rent. The owner or “lessor” and the lessee of the property are bound by a lease or “rental contract”, the latter not necessarily being drawn up in writing.

Furnished rental

It concerns rented accommodation with the provision of sufficient furniture for everyday life. Income from this type of rental is subject to personal income tax. Please note that furnished rentals are not regulated.

Seasonal rental

Furnished rental granted during a vacation period. The seasonal rental contract is freely negotiated for its duration and the amount of its rent, but it must first be the subject of a description of the premises and the rental conditions.

Rent

Monthly or quarterly sum paid to the lessor by the tenant in return for the right to occupy the dwelling.

Mandate

Delegation of power from one person to another in order to accomplish something (rental, sale, etc.) in the name of the principal

List Merchant

Intermediary who sells lists of goods for sale or for rent. Since 1995, this profession has been regulated. Today, list merchants must obtain the agreement of the owner of the property before placing the latter on the list sold to interested persons.

Bare Property

Bare ownership is expressed by owning property, real estate or financial. In the context of bare ownership, the owner does not have the use of the asset, called the usufruct.

Nullity

Cancellation of a legal act for non-compliance with one of the substantive or formal conditions necessary for its proper completion.

Common parts

Parts of buildings for the use of all the inhabitants of the building (staircase, courtyard, etc.).

Private areas

Part of buildings for the use of only one of the inhabitants.

Prior notice

The notice is a notice period that the tenant must respect when he wishes to put an end to the rental contract between him and his lessor.

Receipt

Proof sent to the tenant by the owner for the payment of the rent and its charges.

Quota

This is the share allocated to each co-owner for the distribution of co-ownership charges.

Recourse

The action of referring to an authority or to an administrative court, regarding an administrative act or decision with a view to obtaining its withdrawal, cancellation or interpretation.

Waiver

Act by which one renounces a thing, a right.

Service residences

These are private student residences, sometimes with agreements, offering equipped and furnished accommodation as well as many services included in the rental price, including common areas.

Land income

These are the income from real estate rentals.

Taxable income

Total annual net income that will be used as a basis for calculating the tax.

Termination

Termination of the rental contract when the tenant does not respect his obligations: failure to pay rents, charges, security deposit, insurance of the rented premises.

Seizure

Procedure which consists in handing over property to justice or administrative authority, in the interest of a creditor.

Sublease

Lease contract drawn up by a tenant with the owner's agreement to leave the enjoyment of the property he rents to a third party.

Usufruct

Right to use real estate (to live in or rent it) whose bare ownership (the walls) belongs to another owner.

Rental value

It indicates the annual financial contribution paid for the occupation of a property.

Visit

Visiting an accommodation to assess it before making a decision on its rental. The visit is very often required for a private owner, but is not mandatory for a student residence.