Intergenerational homesharing in Rennes

A Breton model built over two decades

Rennes is the capital of Brittany and one of France's youngest large cities, with two universities, an engineering school cluster and Sciences Po. Its homesharing scene is unusually concentrated: one organisation, La Maison en Ville, has handled solidarity housing in Ille-et-Vilaine since 1998.

Readers familiar with Homeshare UK or the American Homesharing programmes will recognise the principle. In France, a dedicated agreement applies when the host is 60 or older and the guest under 30, and in Rennes both sides also sign the association's own charter.

More than one kind of room

Besides room-for-help arrangements, the association runs ordinary lodgings with local families, flat-shares tied to a volunteering project, inclusive flat-shares with partners from the disability sector and short contracts for interns. Over 150 host households belong to its network.

Beyond the city limits

The same team covers Fougères, Redon and Janzé inland and the Emerald Coast towns of Saint-Malo, Dinard and Cancale. Hospitality apprentices working seasonal contracts on the coast can therefore use the same support as a university student in Rennes.

Who tends to host?

Hosts are typically older owners or tenants living alone in a family house that now feels too large. Since 2011 La Maison en Ville has acted as the local partner of Ensemble2Générations, a national network operating in more than thirty French towns.

Comparing the costs

A 2023 report by the Rennes culture magazine Unidivers describes two commitment levels. Under the light formula, the young person pays no more than 150 euros a month. Under the strong-presence formula the room is free, but the time commitment is considerable.

Fees to clarify

The same article mentions a support fee of a few hundred euros plus a small membership charge, but its figures partly contradict each other. The association's website gives no amount, so ask for the current fee schedule in writing before committing to anything.

How Rennes rents compare

The Rennes metropolitan rent observatory recorded a 2024 median of 11.6 euros per square metre, rising to 13.3 in the city centre and falling to 9.4 in outlying hubs. A national synthesis puts three-room flats around Rennes at 10.6 euros.

Unlike Montpellier or Grenoble, Rennes does not appear among the areas listed by ANIL for rent control, so landlords set initial rents freely. A free or 150-euro room therefore represents a substantial saving compared with a city-centre studio.

Housing benefit in brief

When a written rental contract exists, the guest can claim APL, France's main housing allowance, from the CAF of Ille-et-Vilaine. In a rent-free arrangement there is nothing to claim, which keeps paperwork light for international students unfamiliar with French administration.

Campuses and the metro

Rennes 2 University, focused on arts, languages and social sciences, sits at Villejean next to the health faculties. The University of Rennes runs its main science campus at Beaulieu in the east, where several engineering schools also cluster, while law remains central.

Metro line a reaches Villejean, and line b, opened in 2022, links Beaulieu to the centre in a few minutes. A host near either line removes the need for a car, which matters for students arriving from abroad without a French licence.

Applying through the association

1. Join online as a young person and select the room-for-help formula.
2. Submit a housing request with your campus, dates and timetable constraints.
3. Expect the association to assess the host's needs first, then to interview you.
4. Meet the proposed host to agree a weekly schedule and house rules.
5. Sign the agreement and the association's charter, with an inventory of the room.
6. Rely on a single named adviser for follow-up and mediation throughout the year.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Choosing the free formula for the savings and then spending most weekends away.
• Leaving support fees unconfirmed until after signing.
• Accepting a room far from either metro line without timing the trip.
• Forgetting to mention a semester abroad or internship planned mid-year.
• Expecting to provide personal care, which homesharing explicitly excludes.

Language support

La Maison en Ville states that it offers French lessons to members. For exchange students this is a practical bonus, since evenings with a Breton host quickly become the best possible conversation practice, provided basic French is already in place.

Rennes homesharing: common questions

The answers below cover what international students, their families and older residents of the Rennes area most frequently ask before deciding whether a shared home could realistically work for them during the coming academic year.

Is a completely free room realistic?

Yes, if you can truly be home four evenings a week and two weekends a month. For students whose families live overseas, this option can remove the largest item in a student budget, but it requires honest planning.

Can I live on the coast instead?

Yes. The association also matches people in Saint-Malo, Dinard and Cancale. This mainly helps apprentices and trainees in hospitality or marine trades, since university courses themselves are concentrated in Rennes, roughly an hour away by train.

How long does a placement last?

Usually one academic year, renewable by mutual agreement. A separate temporary formula serves interns and work-study students who alternate between periods in a company and weeks of classes in Rennes, offering shorter or repeated stays.

Can couples host?

Nothing prevents an older couple from hosting, provided one free room is available. The association looks at the household as a whole when it assesses what kind of presence would genuinely help and which young profile would fit best.