What to do if your French landlord won’t accept a foreign guarantor

Looking for a home to rent in France usually involves putting together a big dossier of documents, and in most cases landlords also require someone to act as a guarantor.

Overseas guarantors are usually not accepted, which is a problem for newly arrived foreigners who don’t know anyone in France. But there are ways around it.

What is a guarantor, and why do I need it?

A guarantor (garant) is a third-party who agrees to pay your rent if you’re unable to pay it. This gives the landlord greater financial security – a guarantor is also required to provide their own dossier of documents proving that they have the financial means to guarantee your rent.

Although this is common in many countries for students or those without a solid credit history, in France it’s a standard part of the rental process, whatever your age or financial circumstances.

The reason behind this is that France’s housing laws are heavily weighted in favour of the tenant, with landlords restricted in how and when they can evict people in case of non-payment of rent.

READ ALSO: Renting property in France: Know your rights as a tenant

The garant might be requested anywhere, but it’s more common in the bigger cities which have housing shortages, and where landlords can therefore afford to be more picky.

Options for a garant

Whilst French law does not technically require a personal guarantor to live in France, most landlords and real estate agencies will demand a guarantor living in France with a local income (ideally a permanent CDI contract) equal to three or four times the monthly rent.

There is no requirement for them to be a French citizen, but residency in France is usually required in order to fulfil the requirements for a French work contract and French bank account.

Another option is using a bank guarantee (caution bancaire), though not all landlords will accept it.

This is where a bank will act as a guarantor for the tenant to the landlord. It works by the tenant mobilising a large sum of money (normally 6-12 months of rent) into a blocked account. This will then serve as the guarantee in case of unpaid rent.

However, this usually requires a French bank account and the set up and administration often takes a long time.

Why can’t I just have a guarantor from my country?

There are a few reasons why French landlords have reservations about accepting overseas guarantors: safety and rental guarantee are deep rooted within the French rental system.

Crucially, the language barrier makes things difficult for landlords. Although documents are often required to be translated, they may be in non-standardised formats.

This makes things especially tricky when things go wrong.

If, for example, rent isn’t paid, the landlord may have to initiate proceedings within the country of residence of the guarantor concerned. Navigating foreign laws and lawyers, with inevitable delays and costs, can make things much more complicated.

Also, foreign language and non-standardised documents can make the verification of the guarantor difficult for the landlord. For example, the criteria for regularity of income in one country may significantly differ from one country to the next.

However, it’s up to each landlord to decide what they will accept, so some landlords might be more flexible.

What can I do if I can’t get a French guarantor?

If you can’t get a French guarantor there are a couple of ways around it.

One option is the free government backed rental scheme known as VISALE (Visa pour le Logement et l’Emploi). This applies if you are a student aged 18 to 30 or a qualifying young worker.

If you are a private sector employee over the age of 31, you can also qualify for VISALE when your net monthly salary is less than or equal to €1,710, if you have been transferred by your employer or if you meet certain social criteria. There is an online simulator that you can use to test whether you qualify – find it here.

Importantly, the VISALE guarantee only covers the first 3 years of occupancy of the dwelling. After this, you can benefit again from the scheme if you are still eligible by making a new application. Also, VISALE only applies if the rent (including charges) falls under regional caps, which you can find here.

Another way to get around no overseas guarantor is by paying for online guarantor platforms to act as your local financial guarantor.

This works well as it does not require a French-resident family member and there are generally no restrictions for age, nationality or residency – although these services do charge a fee, so it’s a more expensive option.

For example, the popular site GarantMe, charges around 4.5 percent of your annual rent (including service charges), with a minimum fee of €150 per year for this service. The guarantee is issued within the day once you have uploaded supporting documents, with the rent guaranteed up to €90,000.

By Anna Charalambou