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Housing aid from the CAF (APL, ALF, ALS)

What the three housing allowances are, who can get them as a newcomer (including the July 2026 rule for non-EU students), how to simulate and apply online, and why you should apply as soon as you move in.

Checked 7 Oct 2026
Applies to
Tenants, flatmates and residents of student or worker residences who use the home as their main residence and whose household income is modest. Foreign nationals need a valid residence document.
Effort
Low effort
Time needed
About an hour for the simulation and online application; the CAF then processes your file
Cost
Free to apply
When
Apply in the month you move in; aid is due from the first day of the month after your application and is not backdated
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Documents you need
  3. Step by step
  4. Which allowance applies
  5. Who can get it
  6. Extra help in Paris and for your deposit
  7. Watch out
  8. Common mistakes
  9. Tips
  10. Frequently asked questions
  11. Official links
  12. In your plan
  13. Sources
  14. Related guides

France has three personal housing allowances, paid in most cases by the family benefits fund (caisse d'allocations familiales, CAF): the APL (aide personnalisée au logement), the ALF (allocation de logement familiale) and the ALS (allocation de logement sociale). They lower your rent, cannot be combined, and are calculated in the same way; what differs is who qualifies. In practice you apply once for housing aid, and the rules below determine which allowance you receive.

Documents you need

  • Your lease or residence contract

    required

  • Valid residence document (non-EU nationals)

    optional

  • Bank details (RIB)

    required

  • Passport or ID card

    required

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Simulate your entitlement

    Use the official CAF housing aid simulator with your expected rent and income. It shows whether you might qualify and an estimated amount. A simulation can also be added to your rental dossier as proof of resources.

  2. Step 2: Apply online as soon as you move in

    Create your CAF account and complete the online housing aid application with your lease details, rent, household and income. The aid is due from the first day of the month after your application, so a late application loses money that cannot be recovered. Your landlord confirms the rent, the size of the home and that it is decent (including its energy performance certificate).

  3. Step 3: Send the documents the CAF asks for

    Upload your lease, your residence document if you are not an EU national, your bank details (RIB) and, if asked, proof of income for the reference period, including foreign income. The landlord completes an attestation of the rent and the home's characteristics, often online. Incomplete files are the main cause of delays, so check your messages in your CAF account.

  4. Step 4: Track and update your file

    Follow your application in your online account. In most cases the aid is paid directly to your landlord, who deducts it from your rent; payments are made on the 5th of the month. Report changes in income, household or address straight away to avoid having to repay overpayments. Rent increases during the year are taken into account from the following January.

Which allowance applies

  • APL depends on the home: it is paid for a home covered by an agreement with the state (logement conventionné), which includes most social housing. Your landlord can tell you whether the home is conventionné.
  • ALF depends on your family situation, for example if you receive family benefits, have a dependent child, or married recently without children (for five years after the wedding).
  • ALS is paid when you meet the conditions for neither the APL nor the ALF.

Who can get it

  • The home must be your main residence, and you must not be closely related to the landlord.
  • Income limits apply. The CAF looks at the income of everyone in the household over the last 12 months, and limits depend on household size and where you live.
  • Foreign nationals are eligible with a valid residence document.
  • Since 1 July 2026, non-EU students holding a student residence permit can receive the APL only if they receive a need-based grant (for example from the Crous), have a professional activity, or are on an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. Check how this applies to you before relying on aid in your budget.
  • Flatmates can each apply for their share of the rent.

Extra help in Paris and for your deposit

  • Paris Logement and related City of Paris allowances top up housing costs for some low-income households, but they generally require you to have lived in Paris for at least three of the last five years, so most newcomers do not qualify at first. You must also have applied for CAF housing aid.
  • The Paris housing solidarity fund (Fonds de solidarité pour le logement, FSL Habitat) can help with a deposit, moving costs, rent arrears or home insurance for households in difficulty; applications go through the City's social services (Espaces Parisiens des Solidarités).
  • Students in Paris may be eligible for the City's one-off installation grant AILE (€900), managed with the Crous.
  • Action Logement's Avance Loca-Pass lends up to €1,200 interest-free for the deposit to eligible employees and young people, and Visale offers a free rent guarantee.

Watch out

Declare all household income and report changes promptly; amounts paid in error have to be repaid.

Aid is not paid if you live in a home owned by a close family member or if you hold part of the property.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting for the residence card or carte Vitale before applying; apply as soon as you have a lease and a valid residence document.
  • Assuming students from outside the EU are automatically eligible; the July 2026 rule narrows this.

Tips

  • The CAF de Paris has four sites in Paris; since November 2025 they open on Wednesdays without an appointment on a rotating basis.
  • Keep your CAF login safe and check your messages; the CAF communicates mostly online.
  • Use the same CAF account later for family benefits; declare births and changes in household there.
  • Save a PDF of the simulation result; landlords may accept it as part of your proof of income.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Can I get housing aid for a furnished flat or a room in a residence?

Yes, as long as it is your main residence and the other conditions are met. Residents of student residences, worker residences and other collective housing can apply.

I live in Paris but work for a foreign employer. Does that matter?

Eligibility depends on residence, the home and income rather than on where your employer is based. Include all income, French and foreign, when the CAF asks for it.

I share a flat. Can each flatmate apply?

Yes. Each flatmate whose name is on the lease (or who has their own lease) can apply for housing aid based on their share of the rent and their own income.

Can I get housing aid while living in temporary accommodation or a sublet?

Aid is only paid for your main residence, so it depends on your occupancy arrangement. A sublet must be authorised by the landlord. Check your case with the CAF simulator or ask the CAF before relying on aid.

In your plan

  • Apply to the CAF for housing aid
  • Get your CVEC certificate and enrol at your institution
  • Apply for student housing early
  • Apply to the CAF for family benefits

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 5 Jan 2027.

  1. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Premier ministre)Official source
    Aide personnalisée au logement (APL) (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 5 Oct 2026
  2. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Premier ministre)Official source
    Quelles sont les différences entre les aides personnelles au logement (APL, ALF, ALS) ? (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 5 Oct 2026
  3. Caisse d'allocations familiales (Caf de Paris)Official source
    Caf de Paris (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 5 Oct 2026
  4. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Premier ministre)Official source
    Futur locataire d'un logement privé – justificatifs à donner au propriétaire (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 5 Oct 2026
  5. Ville de ParisOfficial source
    Housing and energy assistance (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 7 Oct 2026

    Updated 28 August 2025; Paris Logement residence condition, FSL Habitat, AILE €900

  6. Action Logement
    L'avance Loca-Pass (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 7 Oct 2026

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