Maryland-in-Nice Housing Overview 

An exciting semester in Nice awaits you! Maryland-in-Nice students will be placed into either a studio apartment, 1 bedroom apartment, or a shared apartment with other students on the program. Living in an apartment can provide an opportunity for daily interaction with French people within the building, but you will not have local French people in your individual apartments. You will frequent the same markets and stores, developing a rapport with the store owners and people in your neighborhood. It will take effort on your part to establish connections with the other tenants in your apartment building. However, it can be done. You will, of course, need to respect the fact that you will be living in a communal living arrangement. French apartments can be in older buildings with hardwood floors, noisy plumbing etc. You should be conscious of your noise level so as not to disturb your neighbors and possibly jeopardize future students from living in the building. Living in an apartment you’ll need to make the extra commitment to continue to use your French language skills even though you are housed with other students from UMD.

Below you’ll find descriptions of the typical housing options for the Maryland-in-Nice program. Note that homestays are currently unavailable. 

Apartments

Overview

Education Abroad works with Giletta Immobilier, a local agent in Nice to identify apartments for those students who choose this option. Each student will sign a lease with the rental agency for the duration of your stay.  Past  students have generally been pleased with the size and comfort of their apartments in Nice.

Very often students' apartments are situated somewhere between the university and downtown Nice, which is a busy shopping area. Occasionally, students are fortunate enough to get apartments overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Some students choose to walk to campus while others choose to ride the bus. Most apartments are within walking distance of each other, the Resident Director's apartment, and about a 30 minute walk from the Universite de Nice.

What's Included?

Apartments are spread across the city center, close to the Place Massena and Jean Medecin neighborhood. Student accommodations maybe in older building or more recent apartment blocks. Elevators and other amenities tend to be on a small scale than in the United States, but students will find themselves close to grocery shopping, restaurants and public transportation. Internet is included in all apartments. 

You will be held financially responsible for any damage that occurs to any item within your apartment. You should do an inventory of the apartment as soon as you arrive and report any missing or damaged items to the Resident Director and rental agency immediately. 

Fees and Utilities
Fees for the Giletta apartments are generated based on the following: the deposit (equivalent to 1 month rent), agency fee (equivalent to the apartment's square footage) and four months rent (including utilities). Education Abroad selects apartments for students according to a  pre-established cost range designed to provide students with affordable, decent housing. 

While utilities are included in the housing fee, that does not mean that they are free and inexhaustible. Utilities charges are based on individual consumption, and as energy costs are higher in Europe than in the United States, the renter can be responsible for expensive fees. Giletta calculates an average cost for utilities, and a student renter will owe the difference if they go above this average cost. In the past, students have forgotten this rule and run up considerable charges on utilities so it is important to be conservative with utilities (i.e. turn off the lights when you leave your apartment) and budget extra money in case you do run over your estimated allotment. 

Engaging in French Culture while living in an Apartment

Living in an apartment can provide an opportunity for daily interaction with French people. You will frequent the same markets and stores, developing a rapport with people in your neighborhood. It will take effort on your part to make friends with the other tenants in your apartment building. However, it can be done. You will, of course, need to respect the fact that you will be living in a communal living arrangement.

Students should be conscious of their noise level as not to disturb their neighbors and possibly jeopardize future students from living in the building. Students who choose to live with other Americans in an apartment should continue to practice their French as much as possible to continue to make progress.

Cost

The cost of housing is a separate fee charged to your Testudo account. Education Abroad will pay for your housing expenses on your behalf directly to Giletta Immobilier.
This housing cost will be posted to your student account mid semester after the University has processed the payment. Included in the cost is money for your utilities electricity and hot water. While these are included in your rent, you should plan to adapt and use your utilities sparingly. It is best to be conservative with these utilities.

Apartment Options

Students choosing to live in apartments have a number of apartment options, including: 

Studios

• One-room apartment
• Kitchen facilities with a small area with two burners, a small fridge, a sink and some cupboards)  
• A separate bathroom
• TV (most apartments)

Deux-pièces

In France, apartments are classified by the number of rooms and NOT by the number of bedrooms. So, un deux-pièces has two separate rooms and a bathroom. The apartment is composed of:

• One main room and one bedroom (not 2 BR in the American sense)
• The main room may or may not have a door that closes it off from the main entry
• The apartment may also include a kitchenette

There are also a limited number of 2 pieces with two separate rooms (that can each be closed with a door) and a joint kitchen (either in a type of hallway/alcove or in a separate room). Most of the deux-pièces include TV's (a few with built-in VCR's) and washing machines.

Trois-pieces (limited availability) 

This type of apartment has:

• Two clearly defined bedrooms and a separate living room area.
• In Nice, this room often includes a kitchenette
  • A wall unit with hotplates, small fridge, cupboards and a sink
  • Some of these apartments have separate kitchens.
• Most of the trois-pièces include TV's (a few with built-in VCR's) and washing machines.

Important Notes About Shared Apartments

• Deux-pièces & trois-pièces options available 
• The style and size of shared apartments can vary 
• Bedroom sizes may vary amongst students 
• Cost of shared apartments is split evenly between roommates

Homestays (Not currently offered)

Overview

Students who choose to stay with a French family often want to improve their ability to speak French and understand the French culture through everyday contact with a French family. Families are selected for our students by our housing partner, Sud Études Accueil. When assessing potential families, the agency considers both friendliness and the quality of the services provided. The host families in Nice are diverse, as you may live with a single parent, a family with small children or a retired couple with adult children. Families typically live apartments rather than houses, given the city's dense urban area. 

Students can live alone in a host family, or they can choose to live in a host family with one other participant from the Maryland program, either in a double room or single room. Note that the other student must also do the same in order for the program to accommodate the request.

What's Included?

As part of the host family arrangement, students receive breakfast and dinner Monday through Friday, and breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday. This usually means that you will have breakfast and dinner with the family, which provides an excellent daily opportunity to speak French with your hosts! Some students describe dinnertime as a great French lesson where they are in a comfortable environment to ask questions about vocabulary, culture, pronunciation etc. Please note that the Resident Director's class often occurs one night a week. Most students who stay in host families will have a plate saved for dinner on class nights.

Living with a French Family

There are considerable variations in the host family experience from one student to another. Some students develop warm relationships with their families, while others experience a comfortable home but a more formal relationship with their hosts. Much depends on the chemistry between the student and the family and how flexible the student is in living in someone's home. Although availability must be taken into account, every effort is made to match your interests and personality with the host family, so make sure that you provide as detailed answers as possible in the Sud Etudes Questionnaire. 

Remember, a host family is not a hotel or dormitory. Students are expected to help out just as they do in their own homes, and remember to be open and flexible to the requirements of your individual host family.

Cost

The cost of housing is charged to your Testudo account. Education Abroad will pay for your housing expenses to Sud Etudes directly on your behalf. The housing expenses include your meals and utilities, including internet, electricity and hot water. While these are included in your rent, you should plan to adapt and share these sparingly and wisely with your host family. It is best to be conservative with these utilities as you adapt to living with your host family.