fac-habitat

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.

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

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

• Student housing services
• Student accommodation
• Student residences
• Furnished rentals
• Rental housing platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Aix-en-provence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SmerracoreOthers · 1 January 1985Fac-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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitation 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/fachabitat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fac-habitat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about fac-habitat