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APL housing benefit for newcomers, at a glance
APL is a means-tested rent subsidy open to almost any legal resident renting in France — you apply online at caf.fr as soon as you move in.
Who qualifies
- ✓Any tenant on modest income, regardless of nationality (valid residence permit required if non-EU)
- ✓Students, low-income workers, pensioners and people on the RSA
- ✓Calculated on your last 12 months' income, recalculated every quarter (since January 2021)
Key rules
- →Apply online at caf.fr — entitlement starts the month after you submit
- →Typical amount: €100-200/month for a student paying €600 rent (higher in Paris)
- →New in 2026: most non-EU students without a scholarship lose eligibility (see below)
Who is eligible for APL?
APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement) is open to any tenant who meets these basic conditions:
- ✓You have a signed lease in your name, or are a co-tenant with a separate share clearly identified;
- ✓The accommodation meets minimum decency standards (at least 9 m² for a single person, with running water, heating, electrical safety — service-public.fr);
- ✓The landlord is not a parent, child or grandparent — relatives can't be the source of rent claimed;
- ✓Your income is below the means threshold (which varies by household composition and city);
- ✓You hold a valid residence permit (for non-EU citizens) or a passport (for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens).
Not sure about your status? See our guide to the long-stay visa and residence permit before you apply.
For students specifically
Students, whether French or international, can claim APL on:
- ✓A private studio, room or flatshare;
- ✓A CROUS room or university residence;
- ✓A private student residence (Studea, Studapart, Cardinal Campus, etc.).
Foreign students need a valid student visa or residence permit, plus the post-arrival ANEF validation if non-EU. Erasmus students with EU/EEA citizenship can apply with a passport and student certificate alone. For where to live, see our guide to student accommodation in France .
Most non-EU students without a scholarship lose APL
Under a decree published in the Journal Officiel on 28 June 2026, non-EU/EEA students who are not scholarship holders are no longer eligible for housing benefit (APL/ALS) from 1 July 2026 — even with a validated VLS-TS visa. EU/EEA and Swiss students, and scholarship holders of any nationality, remain eligible. One key exception: students with any earned income (even a few hours of work a week) can still qualify. Check your situation on the official APL page (service-public.fr).
For workers, families and pensioners
The same rules apply — APL is means-tested, not status-tested. Low-income workers, pensioners, the unemployed and people on the RSA all qualify, with eligibility recalculated based on actual current income. Owners repaying a mortgage on their primary residence (with mortgages signed before January 2018) can also receive APL on the loan repayments — see our guide to buying property in France .
How much will you receive in 2026?
APL depends on three factors: your income, your rent, and your location. France is split into three "rent zones":
| Zone | Cities and area | Effect on APL |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Paris and Île-de-France | Highest rent ceiling, highest APL |
| Zone 2 | Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice, Strasbourg, Nantes (and other cities over 100,000 inhabitants) | Mid-range |
| Zone 3 | All other cities and rural areas | Lowest rent ceiling, lower APL |
Source: CAF rent-zone classification (caf.fr). Updated July 2026.
Indicative APL amounts in 2026 for a single person in a studio:
Student in Paris
Student in Lyon
Worker on SMIC in Bordeaux
Pensioner in a small town
Use the simulator on caf.fr for an exact estimate before applying — it takes 5 minutes and is the only authoritative source for your specific situation. To budget your rent city by city, see our cost of living in France guide.
The 2021 reform: contemporary income
Until 2020, APL was based on your tax return from two years earlier — a problem for newcomers and people whose situation changed quickly. Since January 2021, the CAF uses your last 12 months of declared income, recalculated every quarter. This means a sudden job loss reduces your income and increases your APL within a few months instead of waiting 2 years.
Practically, this is good news for newly-arrived expats: even if your last tax filing was made abroad, you declare your French income from month one and the CAF adjusts the APL on that basis.
How to apply
Apply online at caf.fr. The form takes about 30 minutes if you have all your documents ready.
Documents needed
Documents to prepare
- ✓Your passport or French ID card (front and back);
- ✓Your residence permit (non-EU citizens) or visa;
- ✓Your birth certificate, in French or with a sworn translation;
- ✓Your French RIB (bank account details);
- ✓The signed lease (contrat de bail) and a rent attestation from the landlord;
- ✓For students: proof of enrolment (certificat de scolarité);
- ✓For workers: last 3 months' payslips and your employment contract;
- ✓If your landlord is a private individual, their address and SIRET if they have one (rental agencies must always provide a SIRET).
When entitlement starts and when you receive money
Apply as soon as you move in. Your entitlement starts the month after you submit the application. The first actual payment lands 1-2 months later. Move in 1 March, apply 5 March: entitlement starts 1 April, first payment around 5 May covering April.
Day 0
Move in
Sign your lease and settle into your new home.
Same week
Apply on caf.fr
Submit the online application with all your documents ready.
Month +1
Entitlement starts
Your right to APL opens the month after you submit.
Month +2 to +3
First payment
The CAF pays the first instalment, 1-2 months after entitlement opens.
For private landlords, APL is paid directly to you by the CAF. For agencies and HLM social housing, the APL is usually paid directly to the landlord, with you only paying the difference. Either way, it lowers your effective rent.
ALS and ALF: the other two housing benefits
If your accommodation is not "conventionné" (the landlord doesn't have an APL agreement with the state), the CAF can pay one of the alternative benefits instead. The simulator works out which one applies — you don't choose.
ALS
ALF
Practically the difference is invisible to you — same application, same calculation, same monthly amount. The label only changes which "pot" the CAF uses internally.
Common mistakes and pitfalls
- ✗Applying too late — APL is not retroactive, so each month's delay is a month of benefit lost;
- ✗Sharing a flat without splitting the lease — only the named tenant can claim APL; co-tenants need separate clauses naming them;
- ✗Letting your bank account info go stale — the CAF stops payments without warning if a transfer fails;
- ✗Forgetting the quarterly income declaration — since 2021, log into your CAF account every three months to confirm your situation, otherwise payments pause;
- ✗Renting from a relative — disqualifies the lease entirely, even if it's an arms-length arrangement.
Getting help with your application
CAF runs a national helpline at 3230 (free from a French line). Most communications and document uploads happen through your personal account at caf.fr, which you create after your first application.
For complex cases — refused application, disagreement on the calculation — you can book an in-person appointment at your local CAF branch, find it via the search tool on caf.fr. Bringing a French-speaking friend is useful: the staff don't typically work in English.
University international offices and CROUS centres also help students through the application as part of their orientation week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreign students get APL in France? Read more Close
Yes, but the rules tightened in 2026. EU/EEA and Swiss students, and scholarship holders of any nationality, can claim APL with a valid residence permit or passport. Since 1 July 2026, non-EU/EEA students without a scholarship are no longer eligible unless they have some earned income (even a few hours of work per week).
How long does the CAF take to pay APL? Read more Close
Your entitlement starts the month after you submit a complete application, and the first payment usually lands 1 to 2 months after that. In practice, apply in your first week and expect the first transfer around two to three months later — APL is not backdated, so applying late means losing benefit.
What is the difference between APL, ALS and ALF? Read more Close
All three are means-tested housing benefits paid by the CAF, with the same application and the same monthly amount. APL applies to "conventionné" housing, ALS to tenants without family responsibilities who don't qualify for APL (most students in private flats), and ALF to families and recently married couples. The CAF decides which one applies — you don't choose.
How much APL can I get as a student? Read more Close
A typical student paying €600/month in rent receives around €100-200/month, rising to roughly €200-260 in Paris (Zone 1). The exact amount depends on your income, your rent and your city zone. Use the free simulator on caf.fr for a precise estimate before applying.
Can I claim APL if I rent from a family member? Read more Close
No. If your landlord is a parent, child or grandparent, the lease is disqualified entirely — even at market rent and with a proper contract. APL can only be claimed on a tenancy from an unrelated landlord.