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Private housing

If you are not eligible for social housing, you can look for accommodation in the private sector. This means that prices are not subsidized or controlled.

check the market prices

There are a number of ways to find private housing:

  • If you work for a compay with more than 300 employees, contact your company's housing commission.
  • If you work for a company with more than 20 employees, contact your company's "1%" collecting body. Some of these bodies have their own real estate.

In either case you can :

  • Contact owners directly (classified ads, websites etc).
  • Contact estate agencies. Most are organised into unions or associations and follow a code of conduct which will save you time looking for property and negotiating with the owner* or developer. Looking for an estate agency? : click here   
  • Contact property developers : click here
  • Websites listing property to rent or buy.
    (remember to check the legal terms and conditions on the site).
    *The list of estate agents has been provided by the Préfecture 06. Only agencies holding a professional card should be listed. If you notice any anomaly, please contact : Observatoire.Immobilier.Habitat@cote-azur.cci.fr

The estate agent must have written authorisation from the property owner allowing the property to be made available for rental.
The amount of commission, fixed by the agent and the landlord, must appear on the authorisation. 
Agency fees must be shared equally between the tenant and the landlord if the rental comes under the law of 7th July 1989 (rental of an unfurnished property for use as a primary residence).
Estate agents in France are regulated.
An estate agent must: 

  • have a professional card from the préfet (renewable every 10 years) to carry out "transactions and / or management of residential and commercial property",
  • take out professional liability insurance,
  • take out a financial guarantee to protect clients' funds. The name and address of the guarantor, and the prefessional card number and name of issuing precture must appear on the agency's letterhead and website.

The following information must be displayed in the agency:

  • the amount of the professional guarantee,
  • the name and address of the guarantor,
  • the rates for the services offred by the agency.