Check if you can get housing aid (APL, CAF)

The APL (aide personnalisée au logement) lowers your rent. A foreigner can get it with a valid residence permit (titre de séjour); ask your CAF whether it accepts an APS or a récépissé. The home must be your main home, meet decency standards and be "conventionné" (the landlord can tell you); the amount depends on your income. If the owner is your parent, grandparent or child, there is no APL; for other relatives the rules differ (F32384).

To apply, create an account on caf.fr: no aid can be requested without it. A complete request takes 36.5 days on average (F12006).

These steps with your own dates

A free account: add your situation and town, and the steps get deadlines, a calendar and reminders.