What the agreement is for, and who signs it
The agreement governs two people sharing a home who are neither ordinary landlord and tenant nor employer and employee. One party is aged 60 or over and owns or rents the home; the other is a student, apprentice or young worker under 30.
French officials strongly recommend a written document. A handshake deal may feel friendlier, yet it leaves no record of what was promised about meals, guests, quiet hours or money. A nonprofit organisation often drafts the text with both parties and may co-sign it.
How it differs from a UK lodger or homeshare agreement
British homeshare agreements typically trade around ten hours of weekly help for a room, with fees paid to the matching scheme. The French contract centres instead on a modest payment, with help optional. French tenancy law does not apply, which removes minimum lease terms.
What does setting it up cost?
Signing privately costs nothing. Organisations charge for matching and follow-up. The 2020 Cohabilis study listed annual dues of 70 to 300 euros at one network, depending on the formula, and 220 to 390 euros at Ensemble 2 Générations.
Typical payment levels
French law sets no figure. The same study found that homesharing payments were on average about 40 % below local market rents for a room, and that the young person may contribute towards utilities and subscriptions rather than paying a flat rent.
Model agreement with commentary
Most templates used by French nonprofits follow the same sequence. The table summarises each clause, what it should state and why it matters, so that an international student or a family abroad can read a French draft with confidence.
| Clause | What it should state | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Parties | Full names, dates of birth, host's status as owner or tenant | Dates of birth prove the age conditions |
| Premises | The private bedroom, shared rooms, storage | At least one individual bedroom is expected |
| Payment | Monthly amount, due date, what it covers | May include a share of utilities |
| Optional help | A closed list of small tasks | Never care, never full housework |
| Presence | Agreed evenings or nights, if any | Typical of the so-called solidaire formula |
| Insurance | Guest's liability cover, host notifying insurer | The contract may require it |
| Duration | Start date and end date, or open-ended | Freely chosen by the parties |
| Termination | One month's notice, written form | Serious breach clause recommended |
Describing private and shared space
According to the French notaries' report, each person needs a space of their own, at minimum an individual bedroom. Kitchen and bathroom may be shared. Good drafts specify fridge shelves, bathroom times in the morning, visitors and whether the guest may cook late.
The young person's obligations
ANIL lists them plainly: use the home peacefully, pay the agreed sum, provide any agreed help and pay for damage. Nonprofit charters add keeping the bedroom and shared areas clean and sending regular news to the organisation that arranged the match.
The host's obligations
The host must provide a home in good condition, guarantee peaceful enjoyment and answer for defects that would make it uninhabitable. The room must be safe, healthy and hygienic. Organisations also ask hosts to tell their home insurer that someone is living with them.
Duration, renewal and notice
The parties choose the length freely. Many align it with the academic year; others leave it open. The 2020 study found that agreements lasted about seven months on average, which reflects how many pairs stop at the end of a semester or a training course.
How either side can end it
Either party may end the agreement with one month's notice. French notaries point out the downside of this flexibility: an older host can suddenly find themselves alone again, and a student may need to find a room in the middle of exam season.
Planning for serious breaches
Some nonprofit charters allow immediate departure, with no refund, after a serious breach, and permanent exclusion after repeated breaches. Defining what counts as serious in the agreement itself, such as violence, deliberate damage or prolonged non-payment, avoids arguments later.
Steps to draft and sign
Signing should ideally come after at least one face-to-face meeting and a careful visit to the room on offer. The sequence below reflects common French practice and also works for people arranging a homeshare privately without an organisation.
- Collect identity documents and proof of the guest's study or training.
- Visit the home and list private and shared rooms.
- Agree the payment and which utilities it covers.
- Write down any help and presence commitments.
- Inform the landlord if the host rents the home.
- Sign two copies, attaching any nonprofit charter.
- Schedule a review after the first month.
Drafting mistakes that cause disputes
Most conflicts mediated by French organisations stem from vague or incomplete wording rather than from genuine bad faith. Having a draft reviewed by a local ADIL office or by the matching nonprofit helps avoid the following problems.
- Writing help around the house without listing actual tasks.
- Leaving utilities and internet costs unallocated.
- Forgetting the guest's liability insurance.
- Choosing a term so short that the contract must be constantly re-signed.
- Planning no review meeting.
Questions about the agreement
The answers below address practical situations that the standard templates circulating online do not always cover, particularly for young people arriving from abroad and for families who live overseas while organising support for a parent living in France.
Can a foreign student get a rent guarantee?
The French Visale guarantee may be available to young people under conditions. In March 2026, Action Logement, the agency APAGL and the Cohabilis network signed a partnership to promote Visale among homesharing nonprofits and make these arrangements more secure.
Is an inventory needed?
The law does not require one, but a dated, signed photo inventory of the bedroom and furniture makes damage claims far easier to settle. It supports the clause under which the guest undertakes to repair or replace anything broken.
Can the agreement be changed later?
Yes, through a written amendment signed by both parties. This is the normal way to adjust the payment, add an evening of presence or drop a task that no longer suits, for instance when the host's health changes and professional care becomes necessary.
Can the same pair renew?
Nothing prevents renewal while the guest is still under 30. Some organisations charge renewal and follow-up fees and ask both parties to sign the charter and contract again, which is a good moment to update every clause.
Useful organisations and resources
- Homeshare UK — UK charity network, part of Shared Lives Plus, explaining how British homeshare agreements and matching fees work.
- Cohabilis Sud Paca charter — Regional French nonprofit whose charter, signed alongside the contract, sets insurance, absence and follow-up duties.
- Cohabilis and Cnav study 2020 — French national study giving typical payments, contract lengths and nonprofit membership fees for homesharing pairs.
Official and legal references
- ANIL expert guidance — French national housing information agency page on contract duties, notice, insurance and the social-housing payment formula.
- 119th Congress of French Notaries report — Notaries' legal analysis of the agreement: private space, duration, notice and the risk of reclassification.
- French Construction and Housing Code — Official consolidated article defining the French intergenerational homesharing contract, in French on Légifrance.