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Social housing or private housing: what differences for the tenant?
Verified 05 juillet 2021 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
The differences between social and private housing are mainly the criteria for becoming a tenant, the amount of rent and the duration of the lease.
Lease steps | Social housing | Private accommodation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Housing lease | Good mobility | ||||
Vacant rented accommodation | Furnished rented accommodation | Furnished rented accommodation | |||
Access conditions | The applicant's income must be less than maximum amount. Some applicants are considered as priorities. | No criteria. The landlord freely chooses the tenant. But he should not commit discrimination. | No criteria. The landlord freely chooses the tenant. But he should not commit discrimination. | The tenant must be in one of the following situations: - Vocational training - Higher education - Learning contract - Stage - Voluntary service - Professional Migration - Temporary mission in the context of professional activity | |
Request for accommodation | One application unique. | A folder per unit. Of fee can be shared between the landlord and the tenant when the landlord uses a real estate agent. | A folder per unit. Of fee can be shared between the landlord and the tenant when the landlord uses a real estate agent. | One file per dwelling. Of fee can be shared between the landlord and the tenant when the landlord uses a real estate agent. | |
Recourse in the event of failure to obtain the desired accommodation | The applicant may right to housing. | None, unless it is possible to prove that there has been discrimination. | None, unless it is possible to prove that there has been discrimination. | None, unless it is possible to prove that there has been discrimination. | |
Rent fixing | The amount rent is regulated. | Depending on the municipality where the accommodation is located, the rent is free or framed. | Depending on the municipality where the accommodation is located, the rent is free or framed. | Depending on the municipality where the accommodation is located, the rent is free or framed. | |
Rent Review | The rent review is possible annually based on the rent reference index (LRI). | If a clause of the lease so provides, rent may be revised annually (depending on the variation ofIRL) | If a clause of the lease so provides, rent may be revised annually (depending on the variation ofIRL) | The rent cannot be revised during the lease. | |
Lease duration | Undetermined. The tenant has right to remain | - Minimum 1 year - But, when the tenant is a student, minimum 9 months. | 1 month to 10 months maximum | ||
End Lease | By tenant | Give leave to owner and meet 3 months or one month notice period, depending on the circumstances | |||
By Owner/Lessor | - the tenant's income exceeds the maximum allowed - or the accommodation is under-occupied - or the accommodation is unoccupied - or the accommodation is inadequate (too large) - or the accommodation was transferred by the tenant - or through the fault of the tenant (unpaid, neighbourhood disorder...) | - Leasing, if the tenant is at fault (unpaid, neighbourhood disorder) - At lease maturity, to live in the dwelling or house a relative, or sell the dwelling. You must give the tenant a holiday and respect a minimum notice period of 6 months. | - Leasing, if the tenant is at fault (unpaid, neighbourhood disorder) At lease maturity, to live in the dwelling, or to house a relative, or to sell the dwelling. You must give the tenant a holiday and respect a minimum notice period of 3 months. | - In the course of the lease, in case of serious fault of the tenant (unpaid, neighbourhood disorder) - maturity of the lease, without any steps to take. | |
FYI : there are privately owned (privately owned) rented units for which the tenant must meet a resource limit: the Anah apartments.