fac-habitat
Fac-Habitat is a French non-profit association operating 12,700+ furnished student housing units across 113+ residences in 70+ cities, serving students, young professionals, researchers, and teachers with digital-first rental services and government housing aid assistance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersAix-en-provence, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What fac-habitat does
Fac-Habitat is a non-profit association established in 1985 under the Smerra umbrella, operating one of France's largest student housing networks with over 12,700 furnished units across 113+ residences in 70+ student cities and 30+ university poles. The organization serves primarily university students seeking affordable, fully-furnished studios, T1/T2 apartments, and shared colocation options near campuses, with secondary segments including young professionals under 30, academic researchers, and teaching staff. All residences are eligible for French government housing subsidies (APL/ALS), and Fac-Habitat provides assistance with the application process through its partnership with CAF.
The core technology stack centers on a direct-to-consumer digital platform enabling the full rental lifecycle — online housing applications, electronic lease signing, monthly rent payment, document management, and incident reporting — accessible via web portal and mobile application. The platform eliminates traditional application fees and emphasizes transparent all-inclusive pricing with utilities included. On-site amenities include high-speed internet, laundry facilities, bicycle storage, common areas, and on-site maintenance staff, with eco-responsibility programs as an emerging differentiator.
The business model operates on recurring monthly rental income from individual tenants, with no application or dossier fees. As a non-profit association, surpluses are reinvested into housing quality and services rather than distributed. Marketing and tenant acquisition occur primarily through owned digital channels (the Smerra logement platform with city and residence-specific landing pages) and cross-promotion within the broader Smerra student services ecosystem, which includes insurance and complementary health products. The go-to-market is fully self-serve digital, with no intermediaries or physical retail locations.
fac-habitat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- fac-habitat
- Legal name
- Fac-Habitat
- Website
- https://fac-habitat.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Fac-Habitat is a French non-profit association operating 12,700+ furnished student housing units across 113+ residences in 70+ cities, serving students, young professionals, researchers, and teachers with digital-first rental services and government housing aid assistance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
fac-habitat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Housing Services
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management (EDAEAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Student Housing Roommate Matching, Assignments & Occupancy Management (BPAJAJAJ), Student/Academic Serviced Residences (THAGAEAF)
Keywords
Where fac-habitat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aix-en-provence
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
fac-habitat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Student Housing Rent: Fac-Habitat generates revenue through monthly rental payments from tenants occupying its student residences. Rent is charged on a recurring monthly basis, with charges (utilities) typically included in the stated price. The organization operates as a non-profit association, reinvesting surplus into housing quality and services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Rent with charges included - no application fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
fac-habitat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fac-Habitat is a non-profit association founded in 1985 that provides fully-furnished student housing across France, operating more than 12,700 units in over 113 residences spanning 65+ cities and 30+ university poles. It delivers a digital-first rental experience covering online housing search, application, electronic lease signing, and online rent payment through a dedicated tenant portal (Mon Espace Locataire). All residences offer all-inclusive pricing (rent, utilities, internet) with no application fees, and tenants may apply for French housing assistance (APL/ALS).
Product overview
Fac-Habitat is a student housing platform operated by Smerra (a non-profit association established in 1985) offering fully-furnished student apartments across 70+ cities in France. The portfolio includes Studios, T1, T2 apartments, and colocations (shared housing) totaling over 12,700 units in 113+ residences. The platform integrates the Fac-Habitat Student Housing Platform as the core product, paired with Mon Espace Locataire Fac-Habitat for digital tenant management (applications, lease signing, document access), Housing Assistance (APL/ALS) for government subsidy support, and Student Housing Services providing on-site amenities (internet, laundry, bike storage, common areas). The service targets students, young professionals under 30, researchers, and teachers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fac-Habitat Student Housing Platform
- Mon Espace Locataire Fac-Habitat
Quantifiable outcome
- 40 years of experience serving students since 1985
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use fac-habitat
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
fac-habitat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
fac-habitat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SmerracoreFac-Habitat is a brand of Smerra, a non-profit student organization established in 1985. Smerra provides student insurance, health complementary plans, and housing services. Fac-Habitat operates as part of Smerra's housing division, leveraging the parent organization's 40 years of student service experience, brand reputation, and cross-selling opportunities with Smerra insurance products.
- CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales)coreFacilitation partnership with France's Family Allowance Fund (CAF) for housing aid disbursement. Fac-Habitat guides tenants through APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement) and ALS (Allocation de Logement Social) applications, making its residences accessible to students who qualify for government housing assistance.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
fac-habitat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CROUS: Public-sector French student housing network operated under the Ministry of Higher Education, providing subsidized rooms and apartments to students. While not a commercial competitor, it sets the price anchor and constitutes the largest single supply of student housing in France, directly shaping Fac-Habitat's competitive context.
Direct peers
- Twenty Campus: French student housing operator offering furnished, all-inclusive apartments in multiple French university cities. Competes with similar value proposition around transparent pricing, included utilities, and digital-first tenant experience.
- ARPEJ: French student housing operator offering furnished studios and shared apartments in major university cities. Directly comparable product offering and target customer base, with similar proximity-to-campus and CAF-aid positioning.
- Cardinal Campus: French student housing operator with a portfolio of furnished residences near major universities. Directly comparable in target customer (students), product (furnished studios/apartments), and distribution (city-by-city SEO-led digital acquisition).
- Logifac: Direct sibling brand under the SMERRA parent organization offering furnished student housing across France. Operates an overlapping portfolio of student residences with similar digital lease-signing and CAF-housing-aid support, making it the closest direct comparable in product, customer, and business model.
- Studélites (Nexity): One of the largest for-profit student housing operators in France, owned by major real-estate developer Nexity. Competes head-to-head with Fac-Habitat on furnished studios, T1/T2, and colocation across major French university cities, with significantly larger marketing and capital budgets.
- Kley (formerly Les Belles Années): Operates modern, amenity-rich student residences across France and select European cities. Competes on the same furnished-student-housing segment with stronger brand-led marketing and a more design-forward positioning aimed at Gen-Z students.
- Estudines: Long-established French student housing chain providing furnished apartments near universities and grandes écoles. Comparable product type, customer segment, and price point to Fac-Habitat, operating in many of the same French cities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
fac-habitat social profiles
Digital presencefac-habitat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
fac-habitat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
fac-habitat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
fac-habitat M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about fac-habitat
What does fac-habitat do?
Fac-Habitat is a non-profit association founded in 1985 that provides fully-furnished student housing across France, operating more than 12,700 units in over 113 residences spanning 65+ cities and 30+ university poles. It delivers a digital-first rental experience covering online housing search, application, electronic lease signing, and online rent payment through a dedicated tenant portal (Mon Espace Locataire). All residences offer all-inclusive pricing (rent, utilities, internet) with no application fees, and tenants may apply for French housing assistance (APL/ALS).
Is fac-habitat a public or private company?
fac-habitat is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was fac-habitat founded?
fac-habitat was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is fac-habitat based?
fac-habitat is headquartered in Aix-en-provence, France, in the Europe region.
How does fac-habitat make money?
One revenue line is on record: student Housing Rent.
Who are fac-habitat's main competitors?
CROUS is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Twenty Campus, ARPEJ, Cardinal Campus, Logifac, Studélites (Nexity), Kley (formerly Les Belles Années) and Estudines.
Does fac-habitat have an API?
No public API is recorded for fac-habitat.
What industry is fac-habitat in?
fac-habitat's product category is Student Housing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAFAB, Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management, with a secondary code of BPAJAJAJ, Student Housing Roommate Matching, Assignments & Occupancy Management. Its SIC code is 7000.