Description
Visale is a free rent guarantee from Action Logement that stands in for a personal guarantor: it covers unpaid rent and charges for the landlord, at no cost to either landlord or tenant, for young people under 30 and for many employees.
Action Logement is the French body that manages employers’ housing contributions. Any tenant aged 18 to 30 can apply, whatever their job situation, for a home in the private rental sector. Employees over 30 are eligible mainly when they have just been hired, are on a trial period or a recent fixed-term contract, or move for work; since 2026 the income ceiling for employees is €1,710 net a month, up from €1,500. Rent ceilings, revised in 2026 with a new zoning, apply in addition.
Since 6 January 2026 the guarantee covers the initial lease, for at most three years. In the private sector it can cover up to 36 months of rent and charges, or nine months when the tenant is a student under 30. Service-Public and the ADILs describe it as free for both parties, and press articles note that it can’t be combined with a landlord’s unpaid-rent insurance.
Strengths
- It is free for both tenant and landlord, unlike guarantor companies that charge a percentage of the rent.
- Young people under 30 qualify whatever their job, which helps students and people without a family guarantor.
- It covers up to 36 months of unpaid rent in the private sector, which reassures landlords.
Weaknesses
- Since 2026 it covers only the initial lease, for three years at most, and only nine months for students.
- Rent ceilings and eligibility rules for over-30s are detailed and change often.
- A landlord can’t combine it with unpaid-rent insurance, so some landlords still prefer a personal guarantor.
Who it is for
Students, young workers and newly hired employees in France who have no family guarantor and want to reassure a landlord without paying a guarantee company.