The security deposit in social housing corresponds to an amount paid to the landlord upon signing the lease. Its maximum amount is set by the law of July 6, 1989: one month’s rent excluding charges, no more. Calculating this amount is not limited to reading a line from the contract. It is also necessary to check that this sum remains compatible with the available aids and the household’s effort rate.
Effort rate and FSL thresholds: a calculation to make before signing
The Housing Solidarity Fund (FSL) can cover all or part of the security deposit. Depending on the department, this aid is provided in the form of an interest-free loan or a non-repayable grant. One involves a staggered repayment, while the other directly alleviates the household’s burden.
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Blockages often occur before the payment. In several departments, the FSL refuses the application if the rent, including charges, exceeds a certain percentage of income, usually between 30% and 40% according to local regulations.
Mastering the calculation of the social housing deposit requires checking this ratio before any steps are taken. A rent that is too high relative to resources closes access to the FSL, even if the security deposit complies with the legal ceiling.
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Concrete example: a household signs a lease where the rent, including charges, represents 38% of its income, in a department where the FSL threshold is set at 35%. The security deposit is compliant with the law, but the aid to finance it becomes inaccessible. Therefore, calculating the effort rate must precede the signing.
LOCA-PASS advance: ceiling and remaining charge since 2025
The LOCA-PASS advance, managed by Action Logement, finances the security deposit in the form of an interest-free loan with no application fees. Since January 1, 2025, the maximum amount of this advance is capped at 1,200 euros.
For the majority of unfurnished social housing, this ceiling covers the entire security deposit. Monthly rents excluding charges in HLM rarely exceed 1,200 euros.
A remaining charge appears in two situations:
- The housing falls under the intermediate segment or PLS (social rental loan) in a tense area, with a monthly rent excluding charges close to or exceeding 1,200 euros
- The household does not meet the eligibility criteria of Action Logement (mainly reserved for private sector employees) and must find alternative financing
Determining the actual amount to mobilize begins with identifying what LOCA-PASS covers, then the remaining balance to be financed from personal funds or through the FSL.
Security deposit in furnished social housing: the applicable ceiling
The law distinguishes two regimes depending on the nature of the lease for the private sector. In social housing, the rule is uniform. The ceiling of one month’s rent excluding charges also applies to furnished rentals in the social sector.
Furnished leases in social housing remain rare. They mainly concern certain social residences, housing centers, or programs targeting young professionals and students. The tenant must verify that the requested amount does not exceed this limit.
Check the nature of the lease before any calculation
The amount of the security deposit must be stated in the rental contract. Checking whether the lease states “furnished” or “unfurnished” ensures that the requested sum complies with the applicable legal ceiling in social housing.
The security deposit cannot be revised either during the lease or upon its renewal. The amount stated at signing remains the same throughout the rental period, regardless of any changes in rent.
Visale guarantee and security deposit: two distinct systems
The Visale guarantee, provided by Action Logement, is a free guarantee covering unpaid rents and charges. It does not replace the security deposit: the social landlord can require both simultaneously.
Visale has an exclusivity rule. The landlord who accepts this guarantee cannot simultaneously require a third-party guarantee (parent, relative), except in cases provided for by applicable regulations. The tenant must check the exact conditions with Action Logement before signing.
This exclusivity simplifies the financial situation upon entering the housing. The risk of unpaid rent is covered without mobilizing a physical guarantor. The only initial outlay remains the security deposit, which can be financed by LOCA-PASS or through the FSL.
Practical coordination of the systems
An eligible tenant can combine:
- Visale as a guarantee with the landlord, for coverage of unpaid rent
- The LOCA-PASS advance to finance the security deposit without dipping into savings
- The FSL as a supplement, if cash flow does not allow for absorbing a potential remaining charge, provided that the departmental effort rate thresholds are respected
This combination can reduce the cost of entering the housing to a very low level, provided that each application is submitted before the lease is signed or within the deadlines set by each organization.
Calculating an appropriate security deposit in social housing goes beyond the simple legal ceiling. The nature of the lease, the effort rate, the LOCA-PASS ceiling, and the exclusivity rules of Visale form a set of constraints to verify before signing. A deposit compliant with the law but incompatible with FSL thresholds deprives the household of a financing lever that can sometimes be decisive.