Frequently Asked Questions to determine if you are eligible to become a host with Colette before embarking on the adventure.

What is the minimum age required to host young people with Colette?

As part of intergenerational cohabitation, hosts must be at least 60 years old.

However, there are other types of contracts for people under 60.

For your information, the average age of Colette hosts ranges between 64 and 65 years.

Do I need to be a homeowner to legally host a student?

Anyone can host a student in their home. However, your situation depends on legislation in some cases.

If you are a homeowner, you are not constrained.

If you are a tenant, it depends on your age.

If you are a tenant and under 60, you must have the legal agreement of your landlord to host a student.

If you are a tenant and over 60, you are within your rights but must still inform your landlord. You fall under the framework of the Intergenerational Cohabitation contract, established by the State in 2018 with the ELAN Law.

Colette informs you of the legal procedures, but it is the responsibility of each host to complete them.

​I have some health issues and I am not perfectly independent. Is it possible?

We ensure that every host is independent before posting their room listing for our young guests. However, we cannot guarantee our young guests' ability to meet your care or other needs. While we are present and attentive to ensure the smooth running of each cohabitation, we handle all requests remotely, except in cases of extreme emergency that require a different intervention. Therefore, your cohabitation is managed online and at a distance. Each person's autonomy is essential to facilitate general management.

​I absolutely need services!

The young people are housed by Colette for rent and not for services. Each young person is engaged in activities (classes, internships, work, etc.) and cannot guarantee regular or particular daily presence. Hosting someone at home implies having exchanges and potentially sharing things. These are human relationships that can be very beneficial for everyone! Therefore, we occasionally specify if there are plants to water in your absence, a request for occasional help with IT, the occasional task of feeding a pet, or buying a baguette on the way. It's normal!

As you may have understood, if you specifically want to host a student in exchange for services (caring for an elderly relative, preparing meals, gardening every week, taking care of an animal every evening, babysitting, etc.), unfortunately, Colette may not provide what you are looking for!

​Do I have to prepare meals for my tenant? Should I include them in my shopping?

At Colette, the host and the tenant are independent of each other. Each is responsible for their groceries and meals. However, some rules can be defined for the use of spaces, the use of the kitchen at specific times, or even a time limit to avoid making noise by having dinner very late at night, for example. Many cohabitations establish regular small meetings for lunch or dinner together, why not you?

​Does my accommodation meet the eligibility criteria?

To host a young person in your home, you must have an equipped and available room, in addition to yours, provide access to a bathroom and a kitchen, and if possible, have common areas (living room, etc.). The room must have a suitable bed (single, double, or convertible) for the student to rest, as well as storage for their belongings. A desk is a plus but not mandatory. For the bathroom, some have a private bathroom for the student. Otherwise, the shared bathroom is considered as shared with the host and sometimes other people living in the accommodation (family or other tenants). As for the kitchen, we ask that the young person has space in the refrigerator for fresh products and space in the cupboards to store their groceries. It's up to you to organize yourselves to share meals if you feel like it! If you have more than one room, then you can host one student. If you have more than two rooms, then you can host one or two students. But if you only have one room and a living room, then your accommodation is not eligible because the living room will not be considered a common but private space. By private and independent room, we mean that it cannot be communicating or serve as a passage to access one of the common areas. A curtain or a screen does not constitute a partition to define a space as private and independent. Remember, each listing is valid for a single reservation and a single student at a time, even if it has a double bed, bunk bed, or two single beds (in short, if there is the capacity to accommodate more than one student).

​I'm not sure if my city is eligible?

Colette is present in Paris and the nearby suburbs. Indeed, the demand from young people is very strong in this area, due to the high activity, significant concentration of campuses or company headquarters, and the ease of transportation. We are growing and developing partnerships with strategic areas for students (Saclay, Cachan, etc.) that are now part of the sought-after areas.

But Colette is also setting up its service in France's major cities!

What to remember: You must be close to transport and not too far from shops, and ideally, you should be in the inner suburbs.

Before publishing a listing, you are asked to fill out a form to provide information about your host profile and your accommodation. Your answers are then reviewed by the Colette team, and we will get back to you to validate the project and present how it works. This is also an opportunity to confirm that we have demand in your area!

​I have a very specific expectation regarding the rental duration; is it compatible with Colette?

Colette is not a tourist rental platform. Young people need stability by finding accommodation that meets their criteria to ensure their course of studies or the start of their career. Therefore, the minimum rental period at Colette is 2 months. Some hosts will prefer longer periods by default (at least a year), while others will prefer shorter periods to juggle with other projects or to try before committing for a longer time. In any case, each contract can be extended!

If you are cohabiting and wish to extend your contract, write to us at hotes@colette.club, and we will issue a new contract to continue your cohabitation.

​I am regularly absent (still working, for leisure, frequent back and forth trips on weekends, taking care of a relative), is it restrictive?

Hosting a young person is a big change because it involves welcoming someone you do not yet know into your daily life, but it absolutely should not disrupt your habits! We know that many of our hosts are regularly on the move. The most important thing is to establish a relationship of trust with your tenant to be able to leave with peace of mind. Don't forget to inform them of your departures/returns; it's a bit of their home too!

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