Frequently asked questions

If you need help, we have a list of frequently asked questions and answers.

We strive to give you the best experience possible..


How to get my security deposit back ?



How clean should I leave my apartment?
This is the preverbal question: How clean is clean? What may seem clean to someone is not clean for someone else. All our apartments are thoroughly cleaned by our team of cleaners. If the owner meets the student, then the cleaning will have been organized by the owner.

The biggest issue is the cleanliness of private spaces. I.e. bathroom, toilet. Even if the cleaning has been arranged in advance, it’s never nice to have someone do the ugly task of scrubbing your toilet or your shower. So, give these areas a good clean regularly. As labour is expensive, it would be in your interest to cut down on the cleaning by doing some of the basics. Stripping your bed, throwing paper away and generally putting the apartment back into shape, as it was given to you. The expense is having a cleaner scrub every inch of the apartment, washing away months of dirt. At around 16 € per hour, this amount clocks up.

What are considered breakages?
We all know that wine glasses ALWAYS get broken! This is not too serious. You can always replace these at the end of the lease. Along with a plate here and there. Owners are more concerned about expensive items. Washing machine, dryer, TV, and general appliances. Let your agent or the owner as soon as something is not working.

ENERGY
Here are some tips on which to avoid high electricity bills.
(https://en.selectra.info/energy-france/guides/tips/bills/average)
• Avoid leaving the heating on while the windows are open.
• It’s always a good idea to open the windows in the bathroom after taking a shower to aerate the apartment. This is to avoid humidity forming on the walls. Many of the apartments in Fontainebleau are very old (in structure) so it’s important too for your health to open the windows daily to have fresh air.
• Turn off the boiler if you are going away for the weekend
• Keep the heating on low. French authorities recommend an inside temp of 19°C in the winter. If you are not home during the day, keep the heaters off.
• Turn on the heating when you arrive home and keep the bedroom or any doors closed to maintain the heat in your apartment.
• Dryers are very heavy on electricity. Think about doing laundry once a week or hanging your laundry in the sun to dry.

Price of energy
France, December 2021: The price of electricity is 0.19 € per kWh for households which includes all components of the electricity bill such as the cost of power, distribution, and taxes.
GAS
The average price of natural gas in France is €0.070 / kWh, which is slightly below the average for Europe (€0.073 / kWh)
*tip
Electricity is 25% less between the hours of 23h – 05h. It makes sense to run your dishwasher or washing machine later in the evening.
Taxes on energy
Firstly, the standing charge for the contract/’abonnement’, is determined by the power supply. This is applied at 20.6% on the contract charge.
Secondly, your actual consumption of electricity units is taxed at 19.5%.
Local taxes (‘taxe commune/département’) are added at around 12%, before TVA

When do I receive my deposit back?
Legally by French Law, once the exit inspection has taken place. The owner has 2 months from the end date of the lease in which to return your deposit. This can be transferred to any account of your choice. Saying this, most deposits are returned within a couple of weeks.
This amount will depend on:
How clean the apartment has been left after your departure? Any extra cleaning will be deducted from the deposit. Any breakages or damages.
Unpaid rent