When renting student housing, it’s best to prepare a complete application from the very start. Here are the essentials to keep in mind to maximize your chances.
- ✓APL is a financial aid provided by the CAF, designed to reduce your monthly rent expenses.
- ✓The amount granted depends on your accommodation, your income, and your personal situation.
- ✓You must apply online as soon as you move in to avoid losing out on eligible months of aid.
- ✓Twenty Campus residences are eligible for 2026 Student APL: submit your application directly on our website.
Personalized Housing Assistance (APL) is often an indispensable boost for students looking for housing. However, to benefit from it, you must meet several criteria and apply through the CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales). The amount varies and covers a significant portion of the rent. Furthermore, this allowance can be combined with other forms of aid!
What exactly is the APL (Personalized Housing Assistance)?
APL, or *Aide Personnalisée au Logement*, is financial aid paid by the CAF to any eligible person who has signed a rental agreement. For students, it is commonly referred to as “Student APL,” although technically the program is called “Student Housing Aid.”
This aid directly reduces the amount of your monthly rent. In practice, if you are a tenant in a serviced student residence (like those at Twenty Campus), the CAF pays the APL directly to the landlord. The amount is then automatically deducted from your rent: you pay less each month without having to advance the funds.
There are actually three types of housing aid in France:
- Personalized Housing Assistance (APL): Includes student housing aid and is based on an agreement (convention) between the landlord and the State (income and rent thresholds, specific rental conditions).
- Family Housing Allowance (ALF): Paid based on family criteria (couples married for less than 5 years, or individuals with dependents/children).
- Social Housing Allowance (ALS): Intended for tenants who are not eligible for APL or ALF.
How to qualify for Student APL in 2026?
Qualifying for student housing aid depends on specific criteria regarding both the beneficiary and the property. Additionally, you must apply to the CAF, which will review your file to determine your rights and the final payment amount.
When the APL is paid directly to the student housing landlord, the beneficiary simply deducts that amount from their total rent payment.
Eligibility conditions for Student APL
Student housing aid is available to both minor students (if the lease is co-signed by parents) and adult students. It covers students in initial training, employed students, work-study students (apprentices), and even young professionals. Both individual tenants and roommates (colocataires) are eligible. Sub-tenants are also eligible if they are under 30 and/or have a disability and are hosted by a registered family caregiver.
In some cases, Student APL can also help finance loan repayments for the purchase of an older home in “Zone 3,” provided it is a specific regulated loan (PC or PAS).
Regarding the property, the accommodation can be furnished or unfurnished. It must be located in France and must be part of an APL agreement between the landlord and the State. It must meet “decency” standards, measure at least 9 m² for a single person (16 m² for a couple), be occupied for at least eight months a year, and serve as the student’s primary residence.
Student APL is not available for individuals living in free housing, foreign nationals without legal status, or tenants renting a property owned by a family member.
Income caps for maximum APL benefits
To receive the maximum amount of student housing aid in 2026, specific annual resource thresholds apply:
- Non-scholarship students: €8,600 in standard housing (€6,600 in a hostel/foyer).
- Scholarship students: €6,900 in standard housing (€5,400 in a hostel/foyer).
If a student is still part of their parents’ tax household (possible up to age 25), they are no longer included in the calculation of their parents’ family benefits. If parents were receiving benefits, the amount may decrease or stop. Additionally, expenses incurred by parents for the student can no longer be tax-deducted, and certain other aids may be reduced or eliminated.
How to apply for Student APL
The application for Student APL should be made through the CAF website after the rental contract has been signed and validated. This contract is one of the required documents, along with:
- The parents’ beneficiary number (numéro d’allocataire) and their local CAF branch (if they receive benefits).
- Your latest tax notice (avis d’imposition).
- A bank account statement (RIB).
- The landlord’s contact details (including the SIRET number for companies).
What is the amount of Student APL in 2026?
The amount of student housing aid typically ranges between €100 and €300 per month for a single person. The exact amount of Student APL varies according to several factors:
- The city where the property is located.
- The characteristics of the accommodation.
- The student’s status (scholarship or non-scholarship).
- The income of the applicant.
The Student APL amount for 2026, as with every year, is reviewed in October.
It is highly recommended to run a simulation of your Student APL amount directly on the CAF website.
