Finding the ideal shared accommodation or flatmates can prove to be complicated, especially with the increasing number of shared accommodation websites available online. You may find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of information presented to you, without knowing what to do with it. To help you save time and money, discover without further delay this ultimate guide to the best shared accommodation websites in 2023.
Appartager
If we were to name just one shared accommodation site, it would be this one. Probably the most popular in France, it is favored by students as well as young professionals on the move. Appartager is present everywhere in France, from Paris to Strasbourg, including Evreux, Tarbes, and Le Puy-en-Velay.
Created nearly 25 years ago, in 1999, it likely has the largest selection of listings. More than 50,000 landlords have already trusted Appartager to list their shared accommodation. Shared accommodation agencies and community property agencies can also relay their room rental offers there. Precise, clear, and authenticated, it’s a significant trust aspect if you’re looking for shared accommodation.
Navigating Appartager is very easy. There’s no need to pay a subscription to view or post room rental ads. However, the platform has developed a premium offer that allows subscribers to have priority on the listings. They can see them as soon as they are posted, which is not the case for a free member. Only listings older than 7 days are communicated to them.
La Carte des Colocs
An innovative shared accommodation site, it stands out from its competitors with its geolocated approach. Its interactive map facilitates the search for shared accommodation because you can locate and select the area where you would like to settle. This way, you don’t waste your time. Whether you’re a student or a young professional, La Carte des Colocs covers all of France, including large cities like Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, as well as smaller towns like Saint-Cyprien, Sète, or Maubeuge. La Carte des Colocs also has the advantage of being available in Corsica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and even Belgium.
The use of the site is entirely free, without any paid options to access additional services.
To access the listings, you first need to specify the city where you want to settle. This allows you to access an interactive map of the requested area, in France and Belgium. You can then choose specific criteria (availability of the shared accommodation, number of occupants, amenities present, etc.) to find the property that will meet all your expectations. Once you’ve found the perfect place, all you have to do is contact the owner, and you’re done.
Roomlala
If you’re looking for a room in a private home, Roomlala is your trusted site! Yes, for some, sharing a room in a private home is not shared accommodation. However, shared accommodation is based on a simple principle: several people (friends, strangers) living under the same roof.
Enough said. Roomlala is perfect if you’re a student, professional, or traveler looking for temporary accommodation. Present internationally, Roomlala offers you shared rooms in France, Germany, Peru, or even South Africa for short or long-term stays.
Access to the listings is entirely free. You can consult them without having to create a profile, but this is necessary when you want to proceed with the booking. The site offers a certain advantage in connecting directly with landlords via a chat discussion. The basic use of the site is free, but paid options are available, especially for privileged access to direct booking.
Colocatere
Colocatere is primarily an agency specialized in shared accommodation properties. Present all over mainland France, it offers high-end housing, from 2 to 17 rooms, in the Hauts-de-France, Normandy, or even the Paris region. The housing promoted by Colocatere is affordable and therefore won’t take up your entire budget.
The advantage of Colocatere lies in their phygital presence. Indeed, in addition to having a website where you can easily navigate and discover all the room offers, they have several physical agencies on the territory. Whether you are in Valenciennes, Rouen, Montpellier, or Pau, you will surely find an agency close to you. A real asset as it is sometimes easier to ask your questions to “real” people.
However, if you prefer to navigate on their site, you will need to select the city where you want to settle. No interactive map is present, but you will find apartment offers by city, with supporting photos. Once the offer is selected, you will have access to a complete description of the apartment. You will then only have to choose the available room that best suits your tastes and also your budget.
At Colocatere, there are no private listings. The available rooms are managed by the agency. The listings are of high quality but they are not suitable for all budgets.
Gens de Confiance
Gens de Confiance is a generalist classified ad site. It features a real estate section where you will find all the shared accommodation listings.
The site offers shared accommodation offers throughout France, with a significant presence in major cities such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux. You will not have to pay anything to access the site. It is free because it is financed by paid options that improve the visibility of the ads.
Based on a system of trust and security, however, it is necessary to obtain a recommendation established by three existing members to validate your registration. A process that can deter many, not to mention that you must become a member to access the ads. If you want to combine speed and efficiency, we advise you to create an account with Facebook. Thus, Gens de Confiance will have access to your friend list and will propose to submit a sponsorship request to 3 contacts present on the site. This is unfortunately the only way for you to become a member.
Nearly 2 million people trust it, so why not you?
Immo Jeune
As its name suggests, Immo Jeune is a site specialized in housing for a young audience. It offers a multitude of different types of real estate listings, including shared accommodation.
Present across France, Immo Jeune offers shared accommodation in large cities such as Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse. The listings are also available by searching by cities or by schools. This feature allows users, and you if you are a student, to have a result more relevant to your life and your needs.
The site is entirely free. You can therefore create a profile, consult the listings and submit application files for any shared accommodation without having to spend a penny. Having a tenant profile is indeed essential to be able to apply for housing on the site. The listings are also verified and controlled so that you don’t get any nasty surprises.
Cooloc
To end this article in style, we couldn’t overlook Cooloc, the site for cool shared accommodation. Yes, the pun was a bit (too) easy, but there’s nothing truer.
They offer shared accommodation but also coliving, a housing solution halfway between shared accommodation and a hotel. Their service is based on a very simple principle: affinities. To discover the listings, you will need to open a free account. Age, diet, lifestyle, facets of your personality, interests, or even clothing style: different questions will be asked. This may seem somewhat intrusive, but it’s also a good way for your future roommates (students, young professionals, retirees, or job seekers) and yourself to be on the same wavelength.
Indeed, the difference with Cooloc lies in the fact that each roommate has a little something to offer to others. Whether it’s a few hours of cooking, doing some DIY, walking each other’s dog, the notions of mutual aid, sharing, and solidarity are crucial at Cooloc.
Returning to the interface, it’s necessary for you to connect for free in order to access the listings. This might discourage more than one, especially if you are on the platform only to consult. The good side of things is that it also allows you to create a roommate profile and start the process.
Our tips and advices to choose the right shared accommodation
Before choosing the reliable shared accommodation site on which you will conduct your research, be sure to pay attention to these next 5 points:
- The security
Make sure that the site you are on uses a secure protocol (HTTPS). This attests to the site’s security in protecting your personal and financial information.
- User reviews
Unless the site was recently created, several people must have used its services. Check out the reviews and testimonials from other users to get an idea of the quality of the service offered, the responsiveness of the platform, and the compliance of the shared accommodations.
- Popularity
A popular and well-established shared accommodation site is generally more reliable and has a large number of listings. But this is not necessarily the case, so still remain attentive because popularity is not synonymous with quality.
- Offers proposed
To make your search as close to your expectations as possible, it must match with the shared accommodation site. Don’t hesitate to examine it thoroughly so that the offers proposed correspond to your criteria for location, type of housing, budget, etc.
- Conditions
Read carefully the terms of use and the privacy policy to know your rights and responsibilities as a user. It’s important to be aware of this to know how to react accordingly.
Get to know coliving, the future of shared accommodation
Shared accommodation has many advantages and also some drawbacks. To face these, and offer an alternative mode of housing, coliving is increasingly popular. Coliving is a concept that brings together several people sharing a dwelling and common spaces, with a desire to create a real community. Coliving residences are multiplying in France. Offering diversified services that are not found in shared accommodations, they are experiencing growing success in the country. With its quality equipment, coliving simplifies the daily life of flatmates.
At Colivys, we offer all-inclusive housing. We provide furnished and fully equipped rooms, so that our future tenants, and yourself, can move in without having to spend your money on furnishing your new home.
Colivys wants to simplify the lives of its occupants. We offer administrative support and multiple services such as assistance in case of problems, food delivery for your first week in one of our accommodations, or VTC services to take you from your arrival point to your coliving apartment.
We regularly organize “afterwork” events to promote the integration of our residents, exchanges and help them build relationships.
By choosing Colivys, you benefit from a friendly and well-organized environment, where everything will be made available to you to focus on your studies, work or hobbies, without having to worry about the usual constraints related to shared accommodation. Thus, you will be able to fully enjoy your life in coliving, while making enriching encounters and sharing unforgettable moments with your roommates.
So, are you ready to take the plunge?
