GLI or Visale for a student's landlord? Paid private insurance or free State guarantee, never combined: here is how to decide.
To protect yourself against a student's unpaid rent, you choose between the GLI (a private, paid unpaid-rent insurance) and Visale (a free public guarantee from Action Logement): the two are never combined on the same lease. The GLI is taken out and paid for by you, with no time limit; Visale is free, backed by the State, but limited in time. And one valuable advantage is reserved for landlords of students: the law lets you combine one of these guarantees with a personal guarantor, which is forbidden for any other tenant. This guide helps you decide, with official sources.
GLI and Visale: two different logics
Both schemes answer the same fear, the tenant who stops paying, but they do not work the same way.
- The GLI (garantie loyers impayés, unpaid-rent guarantee) is a private insurance contract you take out with an insurer. In case of unpaid rent, the insurer compensates you under the terms of the contract. In return, you pay a premium, generally calculated as a percentage of the rent collected; the exact rate depends on the insurer and the cover chosen, so do not trust a figure read on a forum.
- Visale is a free guarantee issued by Action Logement. Action Logement stands as guarantor for the tenant: it reimburses you for unpaid rent, then turns to the tenant. You pay nothing, but the scheme is framed (target audience, rent ceiling, coverage period).
Essential common point: Visale and a GLI are not combined on the same lease. You opt for one or the other. The details of Visale's coverage on the landlord's side (what is covered, up to what amount, the steps) are explained in our dedicated guide, Visale for landlords.
GLI vs Visale compared
| Criterion | Visale (Action Logement) | GLI (private insurance) | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Free public guarantee | Paid private insurance contract | service-public.gouv.fr F33453 |
| Cost for the landlord | Free | Premium (% of rent, varies by insurer) | actionlogement.fr |
| Who does the paperwork | The tenant obtains their visa, then you register the lease | You take out the contract with an insurer | visale.fr |
| Coverage period | Framed (first years of the lease; see current scale) | Per the contract, no time limit inherent to the scheme | service-public.gouv.fr F33453 |
| Eligibility conditions | Eligible tenant (incl. students and young people) + rent ceiling | Tenant file judged solvent by the insurer | visale.fr |
| Combination with a personal guarantor | Forbidden in principle, except student/apprentice tenant | Forbidden in principle, except student/apprentice tenant | art. 22-1 law 89-462 (GLI); Action Logement rules (Visale) |
Visale's ceilings, periods and conditions change (a revision took effect in early 2026): always check the scale in force for your situation on visale.fr. That is one of the big advantages of pointing to the official simulator rather than to a fixed figure that goes stale.
The advantage reserved for a student's landlord: combining guarantor + guarantee
This is the point many landlords do not know, and it plays in your favour.
As a general rule, article 22-1 of the law of 6 July 1989 forbids a landlord who has already taken out insurance (or another guarantee) covering unpaid rent from also requiring a personal guarantee (a guarantor). Combining the two renders the guarantee void.
But the law provides an explicit exception: housing let to a student or an apprentice. In that case you may perfectly well combine a guarantee (GLI or Visale) and a personal guarantor, the parents for instance. Concretely, for a studio let to a student, you can both take out a GLI and ask for the parents' guarantee. This double safety net, forbidden for a "standard" tenant, is allowed for a student.
Two nuances to keep in mind:
- This rule concerns the personal guarantee (the guarantor), not the deposit: the deposit remains due independently, when the type of lease allows it.
- Combining Visale + GLI remains impossible: they are two competing rent guarantees, only one is activated.
For an international student with no solvent family in France, the point is clear: Visale alone is often enough, but if a guarantor exists, nothing stops you from securing things further.
How to choose, concretely
There is no single answer, but a few simple markers:
- You rent to an international student with no French guarantor → Visale is often the right choice: free, designed for this audience, it replaces the guarantor the tenant does not have. Ideal in combination with a mobility lease for an Erasmus stay.
- You want cover with no time limit, or your tenant is not eligible for Visale → the GLI may be better suited, provided you accept the premium and check the compensation conditions (waiting period, ceilings, exclusions) in the contract.
- The tenant is a student and a guarantor exists → you may combine guarantor + guarantee, a comfort reserved for this audience.
In all cases, no guarantee "removes" the risk: it frames the reimbursement. The best prevention remains a serious tenant file, read within the permitted documents; that is the subject of our guide choosing your student tenant. And to rule out fake applications, which target landlords too, keep our anti-scam housing advice in mind.
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FAQ — GLI or Visale for a student
Visale or GLI for a student: which is the better option? For an international student with no French guarantor, Visale is often the best choice: a free public guarantee designed for this audience. The GLI (paid private insurance) is an alternative if the tenant is not eligible for Visale or if you want cover with no time limit. The two are not combined. Compare the conditions on visale.fr and with your insurer.
Can I have Visale (or a GLI) AND a guarantor for a student? Yes. It is an exception reserved for students and apprentices by article 22-1 of the 1989 law. For any other tenant, combining an unpaid-rent guarantee with a personal guarantor would render the guarantee void. For a student, the combination is allowed.
Does the GLI work if the student has no income? It depends on the insurer: the GLI relies on the tenant's solvency criteria. A student with no income of their own often goes through a guarantor or Visale. Check the contract's eligibility conditions before taking it out.
How much does a GLI cost the landlord? The GLI is paid for: a premium calculated as a percentage of the rent, whose rate varies by insurer and cover. There is no single price: ask for several quotes. Visale, by contrast, is entirely free (actionlogement.fr).
Can Visale and a GLI be combined on the same lease? No. They are two competing rent guarantees; you activate only one. On the other hand, the chosen guarantee can, for a student, be combined with a personal guarantor.
This article is for information and does not replace official sources or legal advice. Studroof is a passive listings platform, not an estate agency, a property manager or an insurance broker. Visale and GLI conditions, ceilings and periods change: always check your situation on visale.fr, actionlogement.fr and service-public.gouv.fr. Last updated: September 2026.