The APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement) is a financial aid program distributed by the French State. This personalized housing benefit is paid by the CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales) for the applicant’s primary residence. Whether you are a student, job seeker, young professional, or employee, this benefit supports you by financing part of your rent. If you wish to apply, please note that APL is calculated based on your financial resources and the amount of your rent. However, to qualify, you must meet several conditions, such as:
- Being the tenant, co-tenant, or sub-tenant of the accommodation for which you are applying.
- Having an income below the resource ceiling estimated by the CAF.
- Living in “decent” and “contracted” (conventionné) housing.
The allocation policy for APL is quite complex. Some accommodation options are not necessarily eligible, while others are mandatory. In fact, there are “contracted” housing units where receiving APL is a requirement for moving in. In this case, the owner or property manager must have signed a contract with the department (and therefore the State). The owner is then no longer in control of the rent price, which is fixed by the State, and must prioritize low-income tenants for that accommodation.
What conditions must be met for tenants and housing?
As you may have gathered, simply applying does not guarantee you will receive APL. Like any benefit, there are specific criteria to meet.
On the tenant’s side:
- Are you a foreign national? If you are a European citizen, it depends on your profile, but you will need a valid ID (ID card or passport). You must also be enrolled in a degree program or be employed and have health insurance. For more details, visit the government website. If you are from outside Europe, you will need a valid residence permit (titre de séjour).
- Are you a minor? You can also apply for APL. If you are still under your parents’ care, the rental agreement must be in their name.
On the housing side: The accommodation must be the applicant’s primary residence. While it may seem obvious, it must be “decent” and safe to be eligible. For this aid to be granted, the accommodation must meet specific size requirements:
- For 1 person: at least 9 m².
- For 2 people: 16 m² or more.
- For 3 roommates: the accommodation must have a surface area of 25 m². An additional 9 m² is required for each additional roommate.
How is APL calculated in 2025?
APL is calculated based on the applicant’s resources. The CAF looks at your net taxable income earned over the last twelve months. Please note: not all sources of income are included in the APL calculation. You do not need to declare:
- The activity bonus (prime d’activité)
- The RSA (Revenu de Solidarité Active)
- The AAH (Allocation Adulte Handicapé)
- Family allowances (allocations familiales)
These resources are not taken into account for APL eligibility. To learn more about how to receive APL, watch this explanatory video.
In a shared rental (flatshare), the income of all roommates is considered. The calculation also depends on the type of lease you have signed:
- Single Lease: If you and all roommates have signed a single lease, the CAF will calculate the total APL amount you are entitled to based on the single rent receipt. It will then divide the total rent by the number of occupants.
- Individual Lease: If you and your housemates have signed individual leases for your coliving accommodation, the CAF will follow the standard rental process. It will consider the individual situation and resources of each tenant/roommate/sub-tenant.
To find out the exact amount you could receive, we recommend visiting the CAF website to use their simulation tool.
What are the income and rent thresholds for eligibility?
The Aide Personnalisée au Logement is indexed to keep pace with the cost of living and inflation. Every year on October 1st, the CAF reviews this benefit. Below is a summary table of the rent ceilings required to be eligible for APL as of October 1st, 2025:
| The scale depends on the geographical zone of your accommodation (apartment or house) and your family situation. | ||
| Localisation | Single person | Couple without kid |
| Zone 1 (Ile-de-France) | €331,14 | €401,78 |
| Zone 2 (+100 000 inhabitants agglomerations, Corse) | €290,34 | €355,58 |
| Zone 3 (The rest of France) | €272,12 | €329,88 |
Why do you receive less APL when living in a shared accommodation?
It is true that APL payments are lower in a flatshare (co-tenancy) than in a traditional rental. The reason is simple: the calculation method is different. It is based on individual resources, household composition, capped rent amounts, and a fixed charges allowance.
A flatshare is built on a simple principle: sharing. In this setup, almost everything can be split between roommates, which reduces individual expenses. This is precisely why the amount of housing benefit (APL) tends to be lower for this lifestyle. The share of aid allocated to each roommate is equal to 75% of the ceiling for a single tenant.
At Colivys, we have opted for individual leases. This means each occupant receives their full individual share of APL based on their own specific “rent.”
