FSLE - Fondation Solidarité Logement pour les Étudiant-e-s

What FSLE - Fondation Solidarité Logement pour les Étudiant-e-s does

FSLE (Fondation Solidarité Logement pour les Étudiant-e-s) is a Swiss non-profit foundation founded in July 2008 by the FAE (Fédération des Associations d'Étudiant-e-s) of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) to address the acute shortage of affordable furnished housing for students and apprentices in Lausanne. The foundation operates a portfolio of more than 150 rooms across three permanent residences — Résidence Le Valentin (34 rooms, downtown), Résidence Le Chablais (39 rooms, near campus), and Résidence La Meute (14 rooms, Plaines-du-Loup eco-neighborhood) — plus the Bérée apartment complex (34 students), Villa Marc-Dufour (11 rooms), Le Bled (4 students), and smaller units at Couchirard 6 and Châtelard 32. All rooms are furnished and rented on all-inclusive monthly terms covering utilities, insurance, internet, and bedding.

The business model is explicitly non-profit: monthly rental subscriptions from students are the primary revenue stream, with no profit motive, supplemented by donations (Loterie Romande) and institutional support. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve online application portal handles all rental requests, while reserved-room partnerships with EPFL (7 rooms), ECAL (7 rooms), and HEMU (11 rooms) channel referrals from Lausanne's principal academic institutions. Importantly, FSLE does not own most of its buildings — properties are provided by partner cooperatives and foundations including Coopérative Cité Derrière, SILL, Fondation Mère-Sofia, and Coopérative La Meute, with the City of Lausanne holding a board seat and providing access to certain residences. The foundation employs 1–10 staff and runs a simple WordPress-based rental application workflow.

The customer base is composed of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students at UNIL and EPFL, plus students of partner art and music schools, apprentices, trainees, and interns. Eligibility has been progressively widened, with lease extensions up to six months beyond training periods. The technology stack is minimal — no proprietary platforms, no AI/ML capability, no integrations — reflecting an operational model built on physical housing, institutional partnerships, and student-managed governance rather than software-driven scale.

Name

FSLE - Fondation Solidarité Logement pour les Étudiant-e-s

Legal name

Fondation Solidarité Logement pour les Étudiant-e-s

Website

https://fsle.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FSLE is a Swiss non-profit foundation, founded in 2008 by UNIL's student federation, that rents furnished, all-inclusive accommodation to more than 150 students, apprentices, and doctoral candidates across multiple residences in Lausanne.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Housing Services

NAICS

Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Campus Shared Student Houses (Room-by-Room) (THAMAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student & Academic Term Monthly Housing (THAMAFAH), University Dorms & Affiliated Summer Housing (THAMAGAA)

Keywords

• Student housing services
• Furnished accommodation
• Student residences
• Non-profit housing
• Affordable rental housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Housing Rent: FSLE generates revenue through monthly rental payments from students occupying furnished rooms and apartments. Rents include flat-rate charges for utilities (water, electricity, heating), household insurance, fire insurance (ECA), radio-television tax (SERAFE), internet connection, and bedding. Additional fees include monthly tourist tax (~35 CHF) for non-Swiss tenants and departure cleaning fees (75 CHF). The organization is explicitly non-profit, with economic profitability not being a goal — rather, the focus is on student mutual aid and solidarity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

FSLE is a non-profit foundation that rents furnished rooms and apartments to students, apprentices, doctoral candidates, and interns in Lausanne, Switzerland. It operates a portfolio of three permanent residences (Le Valentin, Le Chablais, La Meute), the Bérée apartment complex, Villa Marc-Dufour, Le Bled flat, and additional smaller flats, totaling more than 150 rooms. All-inclusive monthly rent covers utilities, household and fire insurance, WiFi, bedding, and access to shared kitchens and sanitary facilities, with reservation agreements with EPFL, ECAL, and HEMU.

Product overview

FSLE is a non-profit foundation offering furnished student housing in Lausanne, Switzerland. The organization operates a portfolio of residences and apartments including: three main permanent residences (Le Valentin downtown with 34 rooms, Le Chablais with 39 rooms, and La Meute eco-residence with 14 rooms), the Bérée apartment complex (34 students), Villa Marc-Dufour (11 rooms), Le Bled apartment (4 students), plus additional units at Couchirard and Châtelard. The portfolio includes over 150 rooms across various properties. All accommodations feature furnished individual rooms with shared common areas. The foundation provides an online rental application system for the three-step booking process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Résidence Le Valentin Downtown residence with 34 single rooms (8-20 m²) across 5 floors featuring shared kitchen, living room, terrace, and laundry facilities. Located 2 minutes from amenities and 10 minutes by metro to the university campus. Open to students and apprentices.
• Résidence Le Chablais Renovated residence with 39 single rooms (9-16 m²) across 6 floors, located halfway between downtown and the university campus (5 minutes by subway). Features shared kitchens, 2 bathrooms per floor, community room, and laundry facilities. Houses reserved allocations for EPFL, ECAL, and HEMU partner schools.
• Résidence La Meute Eco-neighborhood residence with 14 single rooms (10.5-14.6 m²) located in Plaines-du-Loup. Features 2 kitchens, 2 living rooms, and a laundry room. Ground floor includes a DIY workshop, bar/café, bicycle room, and exhibition area.
• Bérée Apartments Modern apartment complex accommodating 34 students in independent shared flats of 3-4 people each, with private rooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, and living room per apartment. Located north of Lausanne near M2 metro; requires higher student autonomy as the foundation does not provide regular cleaning services.
• Villa Marc-Dufour Restructured downtown villa with 10 single rooms and 1 double room (10-16 m²) across 4 floors. Located near amenities and 15 minutes by metro to UNIL campus. Features a large private garden with terrace and bike storage.
• Le Bled Flat Modern apartment in Plaines-du-Loup eco-neighborhood accommodating 4 students in an independent shared flat with private bedrooms (12.4-17 m²), bathroom, toilet, shared kitchen, and hall/living area. Located near bus stops for quick campus access.
• Couchirard 6 Flats Two 4.5-room flats in the Malley area of Lausanne designed for 3-student shared living arrangements.
• Châtelard 32 Flat Single flat with 3 rooms (15-20 m²) located in Lausanne, providing additional student accommodation outside the main residences.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership established January 2010 reserves 7 rooms in the Residence du Chablais (ground floor) for EPFL interns and doctoral candidates for short stays of 1-3 months. Rental requests handled via EPFL Housing Office.
• ECAL (École cantonale d'art de Lausanne)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership established January 2010 reserves 7 rooms in the Residence du Chablais (1st floor) for ECAL students, with allocations coordinated through the ECAL secretariat.
• HEMU (Haute École de Musique)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership established January 2010 reserves 11 rooms in the Residence du Chablais (5th and 6th floors) for HEMU Conservatory students.
• FAE (Fédération des Associations d'Étudiant-e-s) of UNILcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2008FAE, the student federation of the University of Lausanne, founded FSLE in July 2008 as a solidarity alternative in Lausanne's real estate market. FAE is the emanation body of FSLE, establishing the foundation as a student-managed organization serving students.
• City of Lausanne (Ville de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2008The City of Lausanne collaborates with FSLE as a public institutional partner. The City is represented on the Foundation Board (Roberto Di Capua). The Residence du Valentin is owned/provided through this partnership.
• Coopérative Cité DerrièrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cité Derrière cooperative provides the Residence du Chablais to FSLE for renting to students. This is a collaborative housing arrangement where the cooperative owns the property and FSLE manages student rentals.
• SILLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSILL provides the Bérée apartments complex to FSLE for student housing. The apartments were built in 2019 to accommodate 34 students in the northern part of Lausanne near the M2 metro.
• Fondation Mère-SofiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondation Mère-Sofia provides the Villa Marc-Dufour to FSLE for student housing. The villa was completely restructured and opened in September 2019 with 10 single and 1 double room.
• Coopérative La MeutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoopérative La Meute constructed the eco-neighbourhood building where FSLE manages the first floor dedicated to students (14 rooms). The cooperative owns the building, and FSLE operates the student residence within it.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Studierendenwerk München: Regional German student services organisation running student dormitories near Munich universities. Similar service (student accommodation rooms) but in a different national/regulatory context than Switzerland.
• Studentenwerk Berlin: Berlin public student housing operator providing affordable furnished rooms to students of Berlin universities. Comparable student housing proposition but in a different geographic and regulatory environment.

Direct peers

• WOKO – Stiftung für Studentisches Wohnen: Swiss non-profit student housing foundation in Zurich, providing furnished rooms to students of ETH/UZH. Directly comparable mission (student solidarity housing), governance model (foundation), and customer base (Swiss university students).
• Verein Studentisches Wohnen Bern: Swiss student housing cooperative in Bern providing student accommodation through a solidarity-driven non-profit structure comparable to FSLE's mission and operating approach.
• Stiftung WOZ Wohngemeinschaft: Swiss student housing cooperative offering affordable furnished rooms to students, similar foundation/cooperative model serving Swiss university students in tight housing markets.
• CROUS Lyon: French public student housing operator allocating furnished rooms to students of Lyon-area universities, including reserved allocations through partner schools. Comparable operational model and student-focused service.

Emerging players

• International Students House (London): Charity-run student residence in London offering accommodation and community programming to international and UK students. Overlapping mission (student welfare over profit) but smaller and London-only.

Broad incumbents

• Résidences Estudines: Largest French operator of private student residences (serviced studios and apartments) with all-inclusive rents. Comparable product (all-inclusive furnished student rooms) but commercially operated rather than solidarity-driven.

Others

• Coopérative Cité Derrière: Lausanne housing cooperative that owns Residence du Chablais and leases it to FSLE. Comparable because it sits in the same Lausanne student housing ecosystem, but is a partner/property owner rather than a competing operator.
• Fondation Mère Sofia: Swiss foundation that owns Villa Marc-Dufour and provides it to FSLE. Operates in the same Lausanne social-housing ecosystem; comparable as a property-providing partner rather than a direct operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 FSLE - Fondation Solidarité Logement pour les Étudiant-e-s