Complete APL Guide 2026

What is APL?

APL (Aide Personnalisee au Logement — Personal Housing Aid) is financial assistance paid by the CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales — Family Allowance Fund) to help you pay your rent. It is intended for tenants of subsidized housing, subject to income conditions.

Eligibility Conditions

To qualify for APL, you must:

• Be a tenant of subsidized housing (the majority of housing qualifies)
• Occupy the housing as your primary residence
• Have income below the thresholds set by CAF
• Be a French national or legally reside in France
• Have no family relationship with the landlord

How is APL Calculated?

The APL calculation takes into account several parameters:

1. Your rent: capped according to the geographic zone and household composition
2. Your income: N-2 reference tax income (recalculated quarterly)
3. Household composition: number of dependents
4. Geographic zone: zone 1 (Paris), zone 2 (major cities), zone 3 (rest)

The 3 APL Zones

France is divided into 3 zones that determine rent ceilings:

• Zone 1: Paris and neighbouring municipalities — highest ceilings
• Zone 2: Urban areas with over 100,000 inhabitants
• Zone 3: Rest of the territory — lowest ceilings

Steps to Obtain APL

1. Estimate your entitlements with our free simulator
2. Gather your documents: lease, ID, bank details, tax notice
3. Submit your application on caf.fr
4. Receive your aid within 2 to 4 weeks

CAF 2026 Rates

APL rates are updated each year. Our simulator uses the official CAF 2026 rates to provide you with an estimate as close to reality as possible.