Personalised housing benefit (APL) in France

What are the conditions for receiving APL?

You may be wondering if you can benefit from personalised housing aid (APL) to reduce your rent or occupancy charge, especially if you are a resident in a foyer (Ehpad, student residence, etc.).

Here are the conditions to meet and the procedure to follow according to your situation.

To quickly check your eligibility, you can use the Caf simulator.

People concerned

You can benefit from APL if you are:

• Tenant.
• Declared sub-tenant to the landlord, if you are under 30 years old or if you are hosted by a family carer.

There is no minimum age requirement. A minor can therefore receive APL, provided that the lease is signed by their parents.

The rent receipt can be issued in their name. If you are an emancipated minor, the lease must be in your name.

Foreign nationals must have a valid residence permit.
Nationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland do not need a residence permit.

Conditions related to the accommodation

APL only concerns your main residence, occupied for at least 8 months a year, except in specific cases (professional reason, health or force majeure).

The accommodation must comply with the decency criteria and minimum occupancy conditions.

It must also be approved, meaning it is subject to an agreement between the State and the landlord or managing body.

This is often the case for HLM (social housing) accommodations. Your landlord can confirm if the accommodation is approved.

Conditions related to income

APL is granted subject to income conditions, depending on the composition of your household and the location of the accommodation.

The income taken into account corresponds to the last 12 months and is automatically re-evaluated every 3 months.

You therefore have nothing to do: the Caf or MSA directly retrieves the information from the tax authorities or France Travail.

What is the procedure for receiving APL?

The procedure depends on your scheme:

• Caisse d'allocations familiales (Caf) for the general scheme.
• Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA) for the agricultural scheme.

The application is made entirely online.

You will need to provide the following documents:

• Double-sided copy of your identity document (CNI, passport or birth certificate extract) or valid residence permit.
• Bank account details (RIB, RIP or RICE) in your name.
• Rent certificate completed, dated and signed by your landlord.

How is APL calculated?

The amount of your APL depends on several criteria:

• The number of dependants in your household.
• Your income, that of your spouse or people usually living with you.
• The value of your assets (property and financial) if it exceeds €30,000.
• The amount of your rent.

To get a reliable estimate, use the Caf simulator.

How is APL paid?

As a general rule, APL is paid directly to the landlord, who deducts it from the amount of rent to be paid.

It is due from the 1st day of the following month after your rights open.

👉 Example: if you apply in February, the first payment will be made at the beginning of March.

Payments are made on the 5th of each month.

What to do in case of a change in situation?

Any change in situation (moving house, bank details, family situation, etc.) must be declared to the Caf or MSA.

This declaration can be made online or directly to your organisation.