Student flatshare in Lille: the complete guide to finding accommodation

Flatshare vs coliving: do not confuse the two formats

A flatshare means sharing the same apartment with several tenants: everyone usually has their own bedroom, while the kitchen, living room, and bathroom are shared, and utilities are split between flatmates. This is the format found in a classic private rental.

Coliving is a different model, offered by dedicated residences: each resident has their own private space (room or studio, often with their own bathroom), and the shared amenities are at the scale of the whole building (gym, coworking, laundry room, cinema room), shared with all residents, not only with direct flatmates.

💡Note: a coliving residence can also offer some units as flatshares (a shared apartment within the residence) alongside fully private studios. This is what you will find at Ecla in Lille.

Ecla Lille Lomme: the leading coliving residence for accommodation in Lille

Located in Lomme, at the heart of the new Campus Jacques Delors, Ecla Lille Lomme is close to the main university hubs of the Lille metropolitan area, including IÉSEG. Today it is one of the city’s most complete offers for students looking for furnished accommodation, whether in a flatshare or a private studio, without the administrative constraints of a classic rental.

Available options and rents (all inclusive, utilities included):

Flatshare at Ecla Lille Lomme. Alongside private studios, the residence offers a genuine flatshare option with the mini-studio: a furnished room with private shower and toilet, within an apartment shared with other students. This is the closest format to a traditional flatshare, with the advantage of keeping the bathroom space private and having an all-inclusive rent. As with the other options, flatmates also have access to all the shared facilities.

All units are furnished and located in the same coliving building: whatever option you choose, every resident benefits from the same shared amenities.

Shared spaces designed for student life. Across more than 2,000 square meters, the residence offers a gym with sauna and yoga classes, coworking spaces with very high-speed internet to study or work in groups, meeting rooms, a laundry room, a music and podcast studio, a Sport Bar, a Cinebox for movie nights, as well as a karaoke space. A dedicated mobile app lets you book premium spaces and sign up for events organized within the residence, helping students and young professionals meet.

A truly all-inclusive rent. Unlike a traditional flatshare where water, electricity, internet, and common area maintenance are negotiated and split between flatmates, at Ecla Lille everything is included in a single monthly rent, with no surprises or separate bills to manage.

Simplified steps, including for international students. Booking is done entirely online: choose the unit, submit a file with ID, proof of studies, and a rental guarantee, then sign the lease online. For international students, a dedicated team helps with the application, obtaining a guarantee through Garantme if no one can act as guarantor, and steps related to housing benefits.

For students hesitating between finding a shared apartment through listings and choosing furnished, all-inclusive accommodation with services, Ecla Lille Lomme is a turnkey alternative, available now in Lomme.

Which neighborhoods should you choose for a student flatshare in Lille?

Choosing a neighborhood mainly depends on proximity to campus and the kind of atmosphere you want:

• Wazemmes: lively, popular neighborhood, daily market, more affordable rents, well connected by metro. Very popular for shared apartments.
• Vauban-Esquermes: the student neighborhood par excellence, close to law and medical faculties and major schools such as IÉSEG. Calm and residential atmosphere.
• Moulins: neighborhood undergoing urban renewal, close to the city center, growing housing supply at still reasonable prices.
• City center / Old Lille: vibrant lifestyle, close to everything, but higher rents due to strong demand.
• Lomme: fast-developing area around the new Campus Jacques Delors, where Ecla Lille Lomme is located, a few minutes from the city center by metro.
• Villeneuve d’Ascq: to the east of the metropolis, home to many university campuses (University of Lille) and offers larger places for a similar budget, with a slightly longer commute to the city center.

What are the average costs of a student flatshare in Lille?

The rent for a room depends on the type of accommodation and the neighborhood:

On top of these amounts, a security deposit equivalent to one month’s rent is usually required for a traditional rental, while coliving residences such as Ecla integrate the deposit into a simplified online booking process.

How to book a room in a flatshare in Lille: the steps

Whether it is a traditional flatshare or a residence, the booking process usually follows the same main steps:

1. Search for available listings based on your criteria (neighborhood, budget, type of accommodation, desired move-in date) on specialized platforms, CROUS websites, or directly on a residence website such as Ecla Lille.
2. Contact the landlord or the residence to arrange a visit, in person or virtual, to the listed accommodation.
3. Prepare your application file with ID, proof of enrollment in an educational institution, proof of resources, and a rental guarantee (a guarantor or a guarantee such as Visale or Garantme may be requested).
4. Sign the lease online, as Ecla Lille offers, or in person for a traditional private rental.
5. Pay the security deposit and the first rent payment before moving in.

Where to find student flatshare listings in Lille

Several channels let you compare available housing in France and in Lille in particular:

• CROUS offers university housing (rooms and studios) at social rates, with a student social file to be prepared in advance.
• Matchmaking platforms such as Studapart or Colocatere list thousands of flatshare and furnished housing ads across the city, with filters by neighborhood, price, and room type.
• Private student coliving residences, such as Ecla Lille, publish availability directly and allow online booking without an intermediary, with an all-inclusive rent.
• Word of mouth and student groups (associations, alumni networks) remain a reliable source, especially for private flatshares.

What are the benefits of a flatshare for a student in Lille?

• Shared or pooled costs: rent and utilities are split between flatmates in a traditional rental, or included in a single rent in a coliving residence.
• Social life: a flatshare creates a friendly setting, especially helpful for students arriving alone in a new city. At Ecla Lille, community life is reinforced by dedicated shared spaces (Sport Bar, Cinebox, coworking) and regular events.
• Proximity to campuses: Lille brings together several major university hubs (University of Lille, IÉSEG, EDHEC, Catholic University of Lille), making it possible to find accommodation just minutes away on foot or by metro.
• Flexible formats: between a traditional flatshare between private individuals, a shared-room offer in a coliving residence, or a private studio, every student can choose the option that fits budget and privacy needs.