Renting to a student with no French guarantor? Visale is a free guarantee for the landlord that reimburses unpaid rent. Here is what it covers.
Visale for the landlord is a public, 100% free guarantee: if your tenant does not pay, Action Logement reimburses you for unpaid rent and charges, then recovers the money from the tenant. Concretely, you no longer need to require a solvent personal guarantor, which is precious when facing a foreign student whose parents live outside France. The guarantee is issued by Action Logement, it costs you nothing, and it is set up before the lease is signed. Here is what Visale changes for you as landlord, and how to use it with peace of mind.
Visale: what it changes for you as landlord
Most landlords ask for a guarantor by reflex: a person who undertakes to pay if the tenant defaults. The problem is that an international student rarely has a French guarantor, which blocks the letting, even though the profile is attractive.
Visale solves exactly that point. It is an institutional guarantor: Action Logement steps in for the defaulting tenant. In case of unpaid rent, you are reimbursed under the terms of the guarantee contract, and it is then Action Logement that recovers the sums from the tenant. You do not have to chase your money, and you paid nothing for this cover.
What is covered, and up to what amount
Visale's cover concerns unpaid rent and charges, but also certain damage and legal costs. Its extent depends on the housing stock (private or social), and a landlord letting a furnished room to a student in the private stock benefits from the maximum cover.
| Item covered | Private stock (furnished or unfurnished, incl. students) | Social stock (for comparison) | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent + charges | up to 36 monthly payments | up to 9 monthly payments | service-public.gouv.fr F33453 |
| Period covered | the first 3 years of the lease | the first 3 years of the lease | service-public.gouv.fr F33453 |
| Tenant damage | up to 2 months' rent and charges, after deduction of the deposit | same | actionlogement.fr |
| Cost for the landlord | free | free | actionlogement.fr |
Good news for furnished student lettings. Since the scheme changed in early 2026, the guarantee covers unpaid rent arising during the first three years of the lease, up to 36 monthly payments in the private stock, whether the property is furnished or unfurnished, including for a student. The reduced ceiling of 9 monthly payments concerns the social stock, not private furnished lettings: do not confuse the two. These ceilings and periods may change, and guarantee contracts signed before January 2026 keep their former conditions: always check the ceiling in force for your case on visale.fr.
How it works, on the landlord's side
The Visale process runs in two stages: first the tenant, then you.
- The tenant obtains their Visale visa. They create their file on visale.fr and receive a "visa" certifying that they are eligible for the guarantee. They do this step themselves, upstream.
- You check the visa. Before committing, you verify the validity of the visa presented by the candidate (number, rent ceiling covered, dates).
- You register the lease on the platform. The guarantee only becomes effective once you, the landlord, have done this step within the stated deadlines.
- Action Logement issues the guarantee contract. This is your reference document: it specifies what is covered and the steps to follow in case of unpaid rent.
In case of default, you declare the unpaid rent following the procedure described in your guarantee contract and in the Visale landlords' FAQ. Meeting the declaration deadlines matters for being compensated.
Visale + mobility lease + foreign student: the reassuring combination
For an Erasmus stay, three schemes fit together well:
- The mobility lease (ELAN law 2018) frames a stay of one to ten months, with no deposit possible;
- Visale replaces precisely that deposit and covers unpaid rent;
- A furnished letting matches the student's need.
Result: you can rent to an international student without a personal guarantor while being covered. To understand such a tenant's profile and preparation, read our guide renting your room to an Erasmus student in Bordeaux, and, on the tenant's side, how the free Visale guarantor for students works. The mobility lease and its mandatory clauses are on service-public.fr.
Preconceptions: "a personal guarantor is safer"
It is the classic objection. In practice, a personal guarantor is only solid if they are genuinely solvent and reachable, which is rarely verifiable for a foreign student's family. Visale, by contrast, is backed by a national body, the reimbursement procedure is framed, and the cover is written in black and white in the guarantee contract. No scheme "guarantees zero unpaid rent", but Visale clearly reduces your exposure, without costing you a cent.
One last reflex: Visale cannot be combined with a private unpaid-rent insurance (GLI). You choose one or the other. To read a tenant's file without demanding forbidden documents and to rule out fake applications, rely on our anti-scam housing advice.
Got a free room in Bordeaux? List it for free on Studroof and reach Erasmus students arriving on fixed dates. You sign and get paid directly — 0% commission, Studroof never handles the money. Studroof is neither an agency nor a property manager: it is a listings platform that puts you in touch, nothing more.
FAQ — Visale for the landlord
Can a landlord count on Visale? Yes: the guarantee is backed by Action Logement, a national body, and the cover is formalised in a guarantee contract. It does not remove all risk, but it secures the reimbursement of unpaid rent under written rules. Details on actionlogement.fr.
How many months of unpaid rent does Visale cover? In the private stock, up to 36 monthly payments over the first three years of the lease, whether the property is furnished or unfurnished, including for a student. The 9-payment ceiling applies to the social stock, not private furnished lettings. These ceilings change: check the ceiling in force for your case on service-public.gouv.fr F33453.
Does the landlord pay anything for Visale? No. Visale is entirely free, for the landlord as for the tenant. There are no application fees (actionlogement.fr).
Can I refuse a tenant who presents Visale? A private landlord is not obliged to accept Visale, but the cover is solid and free, which makes it a strong argument in the candidate's favour. You remain free to choose your tenant within the law.
Can Visale and an unpaid-rent insurance (GLI) be combined? No. Visale and a private GLI are not combined on the same lease: you opt for one or the other. Find out about the applicable conditions on visale.fr.
This article is for information and does not replace official sources or professional advice. Studroof is a passive listings platform, not an estate agency or a property manager. Visale's ceilings, periods and conditions change: always check your situation on visale.fr and actionlogement.fr. Last updated: September 2026.