Free accommodation and APL: everything you need to know
Free accommodation is a common practice in France. It can be used to help a relative, host a student, or temporarily house a friend. But be careful, this situation can have consequences on housing benefits such as Personalized Housing Assistance (APL) for example. Whether you are the host or the hosted, you need to understand […]
Free accommodation is a common practice in France. It can be used to help a relative, host a student, or temporarily house a friend. But be careful, this situation can have consequences on housing benefits such as the Personalized Housing Assistance (APL) for example. Whether you are the host or the hosted person, you need to understand the implications of free accommodation on your rights to APL. In this article, we review the conditions, procedures, and impacts of free accommodation on APL.
What is free accommodation?
Free accommodation means housing a person without financial compensation. This means they pay neither rent nor charges.
This situation is legal and can concern a family member, a friend, or any other person.
But be careful, it is recommended to formalize this accommodation with a certificate or a written contract for administrative procedures.
APL: assistance conditioned on rent payment
APL is financial aid intended to reduce the rent amount for people with modest resources.
To benefit from it, several conditions must be met. These conditions are as follows:
- Be a declared tenant or subtenant of a regulated housing
- Pay rent
- Occupy the housing as a main residence
- Respect the current income ceilings
Unfortunately, this means that a cohabitant living for free cannot claim APL. They do not pay rent, so they are not eligible.
What are the impacts of free accommodation on APL rights?
For the hosted person
A person hosted free of charge cannot therefore benefit from APL. As we said earlier, rent must be paid to be eligible.
Moreover, if a person has been hosted for more than six months, the CAF may consider that they are part of the host's household. This could have consequences on the host's benefits.
For the host
If you host a person for free, you must declare it to the CAF.
Indeed, the resources of the hosted person may be taken into account in calculating your social aid rights. This is especially the case if the accommodation lasts more than six months.
Be careful, it is important to note that your APL amount may be reduced. To know the amount you can receive, we therefore advise you to carry out an APL simulation on Mes Allocs.
Declare free accommodation to the CAF
Declaring free accommodation to the CAF is an obligation. This declaration allows the CAF to recalculate social aid rights based on the household composition.
You must therefore provide a certificate of free accommodation. It must specify the identity of the hosted person, the duration of the accommodation, and the address of your housing.
Does free accommodation have consequences on other social aids?
The answer is yes in some cases. Free accommodation can have consequences on the following social aids:
- Active Solidarity Income (RSA): the resources of the hosted person may also be taken into account in calculating the host's RSA
- Activity bonus: household composition is a determining criterion for this aid
- Universal Health Coverage (CMU): eligibility can be influenced by free accommodation
What are the alternatives to benefit from APL?
If you are hosted for free but wish to benefit from APL, several options are also possible.
These options are as follows:
- Sign a rental or sublease contract: this allows you to become an official tenant and pay rent (one of the necessary conditions to receive APL)
- Contribute to housing charges: if you participate in housing expenses and can justify it
It is therefore important to note that these procedures must be formalized and declared to the CAF. Otherwise, they will not be taken into account.