The ELAN law and intergenerational homesharing in France

Why did France legislate on homesharing?

Before 2018, French homesharing ran on goodwill. Nonprofits had matched older hosts with students since 2004, using their own model agreements. Without a statute, each arrangement had to be squeezed into an ordinary furnished tenancy, a free lodging deal or a verbal understanding.

Lawmakers first discussed a dedicated framework while preparing France's 2015 law on adapting society to an ageing population. The idea only became law three years later, tucked into a broad housing statute known by its acronym ELAN, short for housing, planning and digital development.

What exactly does Article 117 do?

Article 117 inserted a short chapter into the French Construction and Housing Code, numbered L.631-17 to L.631-19. It also added Article L.118-1 to the Social Action and Families Code, which provides for a national charter. The two codes split the contract from the support framework.

How does this compare with the UK or the US?

In the UK, homesharing is organised by charities and local schemes rather than by a specific statute. Homeshare UK describes a model built on roughly ten hours of practical help a week. France chose instead to write a distinct contract type into national housing law.

Why a separate contract type matters

Without its own legal category, a French host letting a room would normally fall under the 1989 tenancy act, with minimum lease terms and strict notice rules. The ELAN contract removes that layer, so the arrangement can be short, flexible and centred on companionship.

Key rules written into the housing code

The core conditions are few and deliberately light. The host must be at least 60 and may be an owner or a tenant; the young person must be under 30. Neither student status nor income is required, so apprentices, interns and young workers qualify equally.

Can a host who rents their home take part?

Yes. A tenant host only has to inform the landlord in advance, and the landlord cannot object. That is an explicit exception to the usual requirement of written consent for subletting. Tenants of French social housing can also sublet a room under this contract.

What about payment in social housing?

In social housing the payment is not freely negotiated. It is calculated in proportion to the rent and service charges, based on the floor area made available to the young person. Both the host and the young subtenant may then qualify for French housing benefit.

What does the law say about money?

It sets no figure. The word modest is not defined, which has fed litigation. Cohabilis reports that a Paris court ruled on 3 October 2024 that the sum must be far lower than the rent of an ordinary tenancy or flatshare.

Who benefits from the legal framework?

Older people living alone with a spare room are the obvious audience, especially in large cities. Young people moving to a French city for study or training gain affordable housing without the guarantor demands typical of the private rental market.

Foreign students under 30 are not excluded by the law. However, French language skills and the ability to commit to shared evenings matter in practice. Associations usually interview candidates in French and expect them to explain their motivation beyond saving money on accommodation.

Checking an arrangement against the statute

International readers considering a French homeshare can test a proposal against the legal criteria before signing anything. Six checks capture the essentials and help distinguish a genuine homesharing contract from a disguised tenancy or informal employment.

1. Confirm both ages on the date of signature.
2. Ask whether the host owns or rents the home.
3. If the host rents, check that the landlord has been informed in writing.
4. Compare the payment with local rents for a room.
5. Read any list of services and reject care tasks.
6. Look for the one-month notice clause.

Frequent misreadings of the French law

Articles in English often blur French rules with foreign practices. These mistakes can lead to unrealistic expectations, especially for students arriving from countries where homesharing works as a care-for-housing exchange rather than as a social arrangement.

• Assuming the young person must provide a fixed number of hours of help.
• Believing standard tenant protections apply automatically.
• Thinking commercial matching platforms enjoy the same legal exemptions as nonprofits.
• Treating the payment as rent that can match market prices.
• Expecting the law to regulate taxes, insurance or room size.

How widespread is it today?

Still modest in scale. The Cohabilis network recorded 1,114 contracts signed in 2025, while more than 6,300 young people asked for a placement against roughly 1,000 older people. Demand from the young far outstrips the supply of hosts.

Questions international readers often ask

The questions below reflect what overseas students, expatriate families with an older parent in France and researchers comparing national schemes tend to ask about the French statute. Answers summarise the law and the official guidance in French.

Does the law require going through an organisation?

No. Two private individuals may sign the contract directly. Using a nonprofit that has signed the national charter is still advisable, since it checks the room, organises introductory meetings and steps in if the relationship turns sour.

Has the law been amended since 2018?

A Senate bill of 7 November 2023 proposed a presence commitment, a payment cap set by decree, a minimum private room of nine square metres and a fund of 10 million euros a year. It was only a proposal: check Légifrance.

Are commercial platforms allowed?

They may operate, but the Paris ruling of October 2024 confirmed that the exemption from French estate-agent licensing rules covers nonprofit associations only. A company charging matching fees must therefore comply with the regulations that govern property intermediaries.

Where can the official text be read?

The consolidated articles are published on Légifrance, the French government's legal database, in French only. ANIL and the local ADIL offices explain them free of charge to anyone living in France, including foreign residents, by phone or appointment.