Choosing where to live in Paris is one of the most important decisions you will make before starting your journey at ESCP in France. The city is vast, diverse, and endlessly fascinating, but navigating its 20 arrondissements can feel overwhelming, especially when arriving from abroad.
During the major renovation of its historic République campus (11th arrondissement), ESCP is welcoming its students across two main temporary locations: the Champerret campus (17th arrondissement) to the northwest, and the Montparnasse campus (14th arrondissement) south of the Seine. Fortunately, the Parisian transit network makes it easy to commute to both hubs from many neighbourhoods.
To guide you in your search, ESCP provides dedicated housing resources as well as a list of recommended areas, selected for their proximity to the current campuses, their transport connections, and their quality of life. Here is our comprehensive guide to the best neighbourhoods and tools for your stay in Paris.
The Best Neighbourhoods for Your ESCP Campus
Paris offers a wide variety of living environments to suit different budgets, lifestyles, and personal preferences. Here is a carefully curated selection based on everyday convenience.
17th Arrondissement – On the Doorstep of the Champerret Campus
- Distance: 5 to 20 minutes on foot
- Average Price: €750 – €1,000 / month for a standard room
- If your classes are mostly at Champerret, the 17th arrondissement is the ideal choice. It is a multi-faceted area: highly elegant and Haussmann-style near Étoile and Ternes, it becomes much younger, more affordable, and livelier around Batignolles.
- The Perk: You save precious time on your daily commute and can easily head home between classes
- Ideal for: Champerret-based students looking for the convenience of immediate proximity and a genuine neighbourhood feel.
15th & 14th Arrondissements – Perfect for the Montparnasse Campus
- Distance: 10 to 25 minutes on foot or by metro/bus
- Average Price : 700 € – 950 € per month for a room
- The 15th is the most populous arrondissement in Paris and one of the most practical if you are studying at the Montparnasse hub. Very safe and residential, it is filled with local markets and neighbourhood shops. The neighbouring 14th, centred around the Montparnasse train station and Denfert-Rochereau, brings a historical touch and a more vibrant student life thanks to its proximity to the Latin Quarter.
- Ideal for: Students looking for a quiet, safe, and highly functional living environment just a stone’s throw away from Montparnasse.
9th & 10th Arrondissements – Vibrant, Central, and Well-Connected
- Distance: 20 to 30 minutes by metro (Direct Line 3 to Champerret, Direct Line 4 to Montparnasse)
- Average Price: €750 – €950 / month for a room
- The 9th and 10th arrondissements are among the most vibrant and highly sought-after areas for young professionals and students. From the trendy Canal Saint-Martin to the independent cafes and bustling streets of South Pigalle, these neighbourhoods offer an authentic and festive Parisian atmosphere.
- The Perk: Thanks to central metro lines and direct access to Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, you are ideally located to move around Paris and travel across Europe on weekends.
- Ideal for: Students who want to experience Parisian nightlife, maintain an active social life, and enjoy optimal transit connections to both campuses.
11th Arrondissement (The Historical Spirit of ESCP)
- Distance: 25 to 35 minutes by metro (Direct Line 3 to Champerret)
- Average Price: €750 – €900 / month for a room
- Although the historic République campus is undergoing renovations, the 11th remains the heart of Paris’s alternative student life. Centred around Oberkampf, Bastille, and Charonne, it offers a unique mix of bars, affordable small restaurants, thrift stores, and concert venues.
- Ideal for: Students looking for a creative, diverse, and highly vibrant atmosphere who don’t mind a slightly longer metro commute.
18th Arrondissement (Montmartre) Iconic and Artistic
- Distance: 25 to 35 minutes by metro
- Average Price: €700 – €900 / month for a room
- Perched on its hill in the north of the city, Montmartre is one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods in the world. While tourists gather around the Sacré-Cœur, the back of the hill (around Jules Joffrin or Lamarck) offers a genuine village feel with its markets, artisanal bakeries, and café terraces.
- Ideal for: Students in love with art, history, and bohemian charm.
A Solid Rental Application: The Key of Success
The Parisian rental market is extremely competitive, with demand skyrocketing as the start of the academic year approaches. To stand a chance of securing an apartment, French landlords systematically require a complete, solid, and perfectly organised rental application.
This Application must include :
- Your personal documents: Proof of identity (passport or ID card), proof of enrollment or admission letter from ESCP, and proof of current address.
- A cover letter: Take the time to write a short text that clearly describes your situation (your programme, whether you are a traditional student or an apprentice/work-study student, your dates of stay, etc.). This humanises your application among dozens of anonymous files.
- Your guarantors’ documents (parents): This is the core of the application. You will need to provide their last three payslips, their latest tax notice, as well as their official employment contracts to prove the stability of their income. If your parents live abroad, you will need to go through a France-based institutional guarantor (such as the free public scheme VISALE or private guarantee agencies like Garantme).
Pro tip: The visual presentation of your application matters immensely. Don’t hesitate to check social media (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube), where you can find excellent tutorials by content creators on how to design a high-impact rental application (clear layout, a cover page, a single and lightweight PDF file). A well-packaged application often lands right at the top of the pile.
Use DossierFacile to build a trusted rental application
If you are preparing your rental application from abroad, DossierFacile is a free service provided by the French government that helps you create a secure and well-organised rental file. Once your documents have been verified, you receive a certified application that you can easily share with landlords, helping to reassure them that your file is complete and authentic. It is a simple but highly recommended tool, especially for international students renting in France for the first time.
To make life easier: Delegate to an apartment hunter
If you are short on time, managing your search from abroad, or simply want to avoid the stress of viewings, an excellent option is to hire a student apartment hunter, such as the agency Iego, for instance.
For a budget of around 800 euros, a professional takes care of everything for you: they study your criteria (budget, preferred neighbourhoods based on your campus), leverage their network, conduct the viewings on your behalf (often via video call), and pitch your application directly to landlords.
The Best Websites and Apps to search for housing in Paris
To maximise your chances, download the apps to your phone and turn on real-time alerts immediately. Responsiveness is a matter of minutes.
1. Listing Aggregators (The Swiss Army Knife)
- Jinka: This is the ultimate app in Paris. It continuously scans dozens of real estate websites (both agencies and private landlords) and sends you a notification the second a property matching your criteria goes online.
- Bien’ici: This highly practical platform maps properties in 3D, allowing you to instantly visualise exactly where the building is located in relation to your metro lines.
2. Platforms Specialised in Students & Flatsharing
- La Carte des Colocs: The go-to website for shared housing (flatsharing) in Paris. Entirely free, it features a very straightforward interactive map to target available rooms around the school’s campuses.
- Studapart & ImmoJeune: Highly secure, student-oriented platforms. Notably, Studapart offers its own guarantee scheme (in partnership with Allianz) if you do not have a physical guarantor in France.
3. Peer-to-Peer Websites (Zero Agency Fees)
- PAP (Particulier à Particulier): A historic classic. It requires an excellent application because landlords are heavily inundated with requests as soon as a listing is published.
- Leboncoin: The number one classifieds website in France. You can find everything here, but be aware: it is also where competition is fiercest, and you must be extra vigilant against scams.
Absolute Golden Rule: NEVER pay a single euro (whether by wire transfer or security deposit) to “hold” or “reserve” an apartment before you have visited the property in person (or via an authenticated video call) and signed a proper, legally binding lease agreement.
How ESCP helps you find accommodation in Paris
Moving to a new city especially one as large and competitive as Paris can feel daunting. ESCP’s CampusLife platform centralises all the housing resources the School has put in place to support you, before and after your arrival.
Housing Marketplace
A dedicated internal listings platform where students and landlords can post and browse accommodation offers apartments, studios and rooms within the ESCP community. Think of it as a private version of a traditional property search site, but exclusively for ESCP students. A great starting point for finding accommodation in a trusted environnement.
Student Residences
CampusLife also features a curated directory of student residences available to ESCP students, with a direct application link for each one. Residences typically offer smaller but fully equipped rooms in a social setting, often at a lower price than the market a solid option if you want to keep costs down while meeting other students from day one.
Flatmate Finder
Looking to share a flat? The flatmate section lets you connect directly with other ESCP students who are also searching for co-tenants. Ideal for finding someone reliable to split rent with and for making friends before you even arrive.
Solidarity Housing
A more unusual but genuinely valuable option: ESCP has partnered with organisations that connect students with elderly people who have a spare room in their home. In exchange for a small amount of company and occasional help, students benefit from a room at a very low rent. It is a meaningful arrangement that many students describe as one of the most enriching experiences of their time in Paris.
Homestay
Similar in spirit to Solidarity Housing, the Homestay programme matches students with local families who open their home and offer a room. This is particularly well-suited to students who have just arrived in Paris and want a welcoming, structured environment while they find their feet in the city.
Beyond housing: making the most of Paris
Finding the right place to live is just the first step where you settle down will completely shape your daily life and how you experience the capital. Paris is so much more than just a place to study; it’s your launchpad for an unforgettable chapter.
To help you dive straight into your new Parisian life and explore everything the ESCP community and France have to offer, check out these useful guides:
- Get a head start on local culture by checking out the essential guides on the ESCP Masters Blog.
- Escape the city on weekends with our curated selection of 10 Places to Visit Nearby Paris.
- Hit the courts or join a team by exploring the 25 sports available via the ESCP Paris Campus Sports Department.
- Secure your next move smoothly and prepare for your future rotations across Europe using the new official ESCP Campus life Platform.
Wrapping Up: Your Parisian Adventure Awaits!
Finding accommodation in Paris might feel like a major hurdle, but once your application is sorted and your keys are in hand, the reward is unmatched. Whether you choose the lively streets of the 9th, the convenience of the 17th near Champerret, or a cozy room in a student residence, you are about to step into one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
Remember to stay proactive, leverage the tools and platforms available through ESCP CampusLife, and protect yourself by following the golden rules of renting. Your time in Paris is bound to be an incredible mix of academic growth, cultural discovery, and unforgettable memories. Prep your file, start your search early, and welcome to France!