Normally the rental agencies charge a commission of 1 month rental fee. If you can find an appartement on your own you can save this amount. Look for advertisements mentioned as Particulier (eg:Part.). Also a caution deposit of 1 or 2 months is charged by the owner.

 

If you are a student at a university, it is best to get a residence in the university initially. Later if needed you can move out. The university residences are the cheapest and best option for most students.

 

If you dont manage to get an accomodation before arrival to Toulouse, you can book a Hotel for the initial days. There are Appart hotels fully equipped as any house.

 

Real Estate - Vocabulary

F1, F2, T1, T2 : 'F' stands for houses, 'T" stands for apartments. The number equates to a living room PLUS the number of bedrooms. The kitchen and bathrooms are not counted (i.e. 'F4' would be a three-bedroom house).

Louer / Location Offre -- For Rent
Appartements / Villas -- Apartments/houses
Villa, Pavillon -- A small house S., Standing--Good quality
G.S., Grand standing --Luxury apartment or home
Part., Particulier --A private individual is leasing the property versus an agency
Prop., Propriétaire -- Owner Loc.,

Locataire--- Renter / lessee
Séj., Séjour -- Living room
Ch., Chambre -- Bedroom

App.,Chb, Pièce -- A single room for rent within an apartment Chem., Cheminée -- Fireplace
Jar. Clot., Jardin Clôturé -- Fenced or enclosed garden
Cuisine intégrée -- Kitchen has cupboards and countertops; (normally a French kitchen has only a sink in a cabinet)
Cuisine équipée-- Kitchen has appliances, such as stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, etc. (not commonly found)
Cuisine américaine -- Kitchen opens out onto the living area (usually an equipped kitchen with appliances as well)
Plein pied -- Phrase used to describe any one story house
Cave -- Wine cellar area

Sous-sol -- Basement or storage area
1er étage -- first floor
2eme étage -- second floor
Dernier étage -- Top floor

 

A typical rental advertisement will look as follows:

 

A louer: (For rent)
Type: T4 (3-bedrooms plus living room)
Surface: 100 Sq. M. (Area; one square meter is about 10 square feet)
Situation: Rue de Lombez (Location)
Loyer: xxx € (verify that charges are included in the rent, written as charges compris)