Housing in Strasbourg

Before you start looking for accommodation, it is necessary to assess your needs and desires in relation to your budget. This will help you to orientate your housing search. 

You should consider the following criteria:

Type of housing 

• Single dwelling ; 
• Shared accommodation ; 
• Subletting ; 
• In a private home ; 
• In a student residence; 
• In a hostel. 

Type of accommodation 

• Homestay (furnished or unfurnished) ; 
• Studio: 1 room with kitchenette + bathroom; 
• T1 : 1 main room + kitchen + bathroom; 
• T1 bis: 1 main room + 1 room with kitchenette + sanitary facilities; 
• T2 : 2 main rooms + kitchen + sanitary. 

Location 

• In the city centre; 
• Close to the city centre ; 
• Close to your place of study 
• Close to public transport; 
• Close to shops.

Your financial possibilities 

• Consider your resources ;
• Consider a maximum rent.

Before you move into a home, there are many expenses to consider.

► Check out the list of the main costs you will need to consider. For example:

• Any moving expenses;
• Real estate agency fees (if applicable): approximately 1 month's rent;
• Security deposit: 1 month's rent (2 months maximum for furnished accommodation);
• 1st month's rent;
• Water, gas and electricity subscription fees;
• Home insurance: between 50 and 100€/year (depending on the type of accommodation);
• Council tax (if the tenant has to pay it);
• Internet, television and/or telephone subscription (if not included in the rental charges);
• Rental charges: costs generated by the provision of collective services to all residents, maintenance and use of the building (electricity, water and heating in common areas, lift, security, cleaning, green areas, household waste, sanitation);
• Energy consumption costs (water, electricity, gas): amount collected by independent bodies (e.g. ES - Energies Strasbourg).

► Find out about rent prices city by city on the rent observatory (watch the video presentation to help you)

Several solutions are possible. Here are some of them (not exhaustive list):

• Real estate agencies;
• Accommodation rented by individuals;
• Public or private university residences;
• Shared accommodation.

► See also the page Je cherche un logement for some addresses.

Here are some other points to bear in mind when looking for accommodation:

Visiting hours 

Most visits take place in the early evening (after work or school). However, this is not the best time to see the brightness of the property. 

In order to assess the brightness, ask to visit the flat at different times (lunchtime or during the day). However, visiting a flat in the early evening or in bad weather will also allow you to assess your artificial lighting needs. 

The exposure of the dwelling

The exposure of a house is mainly defined by its geographical location. 

• South and south-west exposure: perfect for the living room, which is the most used room and therefore needs the most light; 
• East exposure is particularly suitable for bedrooms. They will be sunny without being too exposed to the heat, as the sun's rays are only present in the morning; 
• Northern exposure: offers less light. Northern exposure: offers less light, so it is colder in north-facing rooms. However, this is suitable for bathrooms and kitchens; 
• Western exposure: The rooms are not exposed to the full heat and you will enjoy the sunset. 
• A "through" orientation is also nice. For example, the living room facing south (or west) and the bedrooms facing north (or east). This double orientation also allows good ventilation of the rooms. 

► Tip: Download a compass application on your smartphone to check the exposure of the accommodation you are visiting.

Checking the windows 

As soon as you enter the house you are visiting

• Check the number and size of the windows. The brightness of a flat is also determined by the size and number of windows. 
• Ask if they are at least double-glazed; this will help to keep out noise and cold; 
• Check that they are equipped with shutters or blinds to give you privacy and protect you from the sun and heat in summer. Finally, open and close them several times in a row to check that they work properly. 
• Be aware of "blind" (windowless) rooms. This is very common in bathrooms and separate toilets and sometimes in kitchens. These rooms should be well ventilated to remove moisture and odours. 

► Tip: In general, do not hesitate to open and close doors and cupboards several times, to run the taps to detect any malfunctions and to turn on the lights.

Adapting the heating system to the size of the dwelling 

In order to assess the energy consumption of your home, you can use the energy performance report (DPE). It must be carried out in all residential properties and given to the tenant. It is easy to read thanks to two labels with 7 classes from A to G (A for the best energy performance and G the worst).

► From 1 January 2023, housing that consumes more than 450kwh of energy per square metre per year will be banned from being rented out (Level G housing). These homes are considered to be energy wasters. Refer to the energy performance diagnosis (DPE) to find out what level of consumption the property you are visiting has.

The location of the accommodation

Pay close attention to : 

• The distance between the house and other buildings. This will affect the brightness of your future home and your privacy. 
• The location of your future home in the building: in the city, the lower the home is located, the less light it gets. 
• The presence of vegetation: large trees near the windows can produce shade and therefore affect the luminosity of the dwelling even if it is well exposed. 

► Tip: To make sure that shadows from outside elements will not be a problem, test whether it is possible to see the sky from the middle of the room. If not, move progressively closer to the window to see how far away it becomes. The more difficult it is to see the sky, the darker the dwelling will be.

The state of the building inside and outside 

Checks the general state of health (cleanliness) of the building on the outside and inside: presence of mould, ventilation system, sound and heat insulation. 

The dynamics of the area 

quiet, traffic, transport time, access to shops, nightlife 

The presence of noisy activities  

Ask the neighbourhood about noisy night-time activities: restaurants, bars, etc. 

► Attend or watch the replays of the 'Housing Zoom' sessions to understand the steps to take to move in

►See the page 'Je m'informe sur les démarches pour emménager'

Replays of the Zoom housing sessions 

The whole team of the Pôle accueil, accompagnmen et support à l'international de la Direction des relations internationales de l'Université de Strasbourg thanks you for your presence at the Zoom session on the theme of housing.

You will find below :

► The recording of the meeting of 21/11/22

► The recording of the meeting of 16/06/2022

► The recording of the meeting of 07/07/2022

 ►The powerpoint presentation : "Housing in Strasbourg"