Wellow: turnkey housing and community for young professionals and students in Bordeaux: how it works.
In Bordeaux, Wellow offers private rooms, furnished and decorated, in large shared flats in the city centre. Energy, internet and home insurance are included in the lease, each flatmate signs their own individual lease, which is eligible for APL housing aid, and everything is booked online, for one month minimum. You need a personal guarantor or a private guarantee. Here is how it works, from booking to getting your keys.
Wellow is a Studroof partner. The information in this article comes from Wellow's website and help centre, and Wellow reviewed the article before publication.
What is Wellow?
Wellow was created for young people, French and international, who move to a new city to work or study. Its stated mission: to support the arrival and integration of young professionals, students and expats, and to offer an immersive, interactive way of living in the city. Wellow aims to build one of the largest housed communities across Europe, and gives access to private rooms that are ready to live in, inside shared spaces that are equipped and furnished. Life happens in the city through social interactions and sports, cultural and charity events offered every month by the Wellow teams.
Today, Wellow brings together a community of more than 1,000 members in Paris, Lille, Bordeaux and Lyon, and keeps growing with a simple model: Wellow rents large family flats in city centres from private and institutional landlords, furnishes and decorates them, takes out the energy, internet and insurance contracts, then sublets each room as a flatshare with individual leases.
At a glance
| At Wellow | |
|---|---|
| The room | Private, furnished and decorated, in a shared flat |
| Bills | Electricity, gas, heating, internet and home insurance included in the lease (within certain usage limits) |
| The lease | Individual (you are not liable for the others), one year, renewed automatically |
| Length of stay | One month minimum, one month's notice, given in a few clicks in the Wellow app |
| Housing aid | Eligible for APL from the CAF, depending on your income |
| Guarantor | Personal guarantor or private guarantee |
| Viewings | No in-person viewing organised by Wellow itself, but Wellow can put you in touch with the flatmates living there; 3D tours, videos, photos and floor plans |
| Community | Members-only app: events, chat, local tips |
A lease of your own, with no joint liability
This is what changes everything in a flatshare. At Wellow, you are only responsible for your own rent: if a flatmate leaves or doesn't pay, neither you nor your guarantor has to cover their share. Your guarantor only commits for your room.
The furnished lease runs for one year and renews automatically, with one month's notice. So you can give notice as soon as you arrive if you know you are only staying for a semester. Wellow says its members stay about 18 months on average.
To understand the difference between a joint lease and individual leases, and to compare flatshares with a private landlord, through an agency or with an operator like Wellow, read our guide to student flatshares in Bordeaux.
The guarantor: what to know before you book
A guarantor is required. Wellow accepts two options:
- a personal guarantor: someone who earns an income in France;
- a digital guarantee: Wellow works with Smart Garant, Garantme and Cautioneo.
What to budget when you move in
For a room in Bordeaux, plan for:
- the deposit: €800, returned within one month after you leave;
- the entry fee: €250, a one-off fee that covers Wellow's services;
- the first month's rent, pro-rated from your arrival date.
The rent depends on the room and is shown on each listing. To get your deposit back without trouble, our guide to the rental deposit explains the general rules.
Booking a room, step by step
Wellow does not select applicants on financial criteria. The first confirmation received secures the room; Wellow only checks that you meet one of the guarantee conditions. Requests with a move-in date close to the room's availability date get priority.
- You send your request online, after looking at the photos and videos of the room.
- Your application is approved: the room is pre-booked for 24 hours. If the booking isn't completed in that time, it goes back online.
- You sign and pay online: the lease, the deposit, the first month and the entry fee, and your guarantor signs their guarantee certificate.
- You get the confirmation and access to the Wellow app, where you find the details to access the flat and the keys, available on the first day of your tenancy. The check-in inventory is done on your own in the app.
There is no in-person viewing organised, but Wellow can put you in touch with the current flatmates if you want to see the flat. You can also ask for a call with the team when you submit your application.
Advice that applies everywhere: never pay for a room that nobody has seen, in person or on video. At Wellow, everything goes through their own website and payment links. Our anti-scam page lists the warning signs.
APL housing aid with Wellow
Wellow flatshares are eligible for APL depending on your income. Once your booking is confirmed, Wellow sends you the CERFA form that makes your application to the CAF easier. To find out whether you qualify as an international student, read our guide to CAF and APL in Bordeaux.
The Wellow community
Wellow wants a flatshare to be more than a roof. Every week, its "What's Up Culture" agenda picks out things to do in Bordeaux: concerts, exhibitions, workshops, parties. These events are organised by the venues themselves. A few times a year, Wellow also organises gatherings open to all its members, announced in the app.
The Wellow app, for now reserved for members who live in a Wellow flat, brings together the events, local offers, a chat between members and a list of restaurants and bars to try.
Who is it for?
- It suits you if you arrive in Bordeaux without knowing the city, you want a furnished place that's ready to live in, bills with no surprises and a lease that doesn't make you liable for others.
- Good to know: there is no in-person viewing organised, and rooms are allocated first come, first served. Get your application and guarantor ready before you pick a room.
Finding Wellow rooms in Bordeaux
The rooms Wellow lists on Studroof appear alongside all other offers on our student housing in Bordeaux page. You can also book directly on Wellow's website.
FAQ: Wellow in Bordeaux
Is Wellow a flatshare or a student residence? A flatshare: a private, furnished room in a large shared flat, which Wellow rents from a landlord and then sublets room by room, with an individual lease.
What is the minimum stay at Wellow? One month. The furnished lease runs for one year, renews automatically and can be ended with one month's notice.
Do I need a guarantor at Wellow? Yes: a personal guarantor of French nationality or who earns an income in France, or a digital guarantee (Smart Garant, Garantme or Cautioneo).
Are bills included? Yes: electricity, gas, heating, internet and home insurance are included in the lease, within certain usage limits.
Can I get APL at Wellow? Yes, depending on your income. Wellow sends you the CERFA form for your CAF application once your booking is confirmed.
Can I visit before booking? Wellow doesn't organise in-person viewings, but offers 3D tours, videos, photos and floor plans, and can put you in touch with the current flatmates.
Sources: Wellow's website (flatshares and FAQ, vision, events) and Wellow's help centre (in French: "Tout ce que vous devez savoir avant de commencer", updated 24 March 2026; "Critères de sélection", 26 June 2026). Information reviewed by Wellow. Last updated: October 2026.