Fondation Maisons pour Etudiants Lausanne (FMEL)
The Fondation Maisons pour Etudiants Lausanne (FMEL) is a Swiss organisation that designs, builds and manages accommodation for students from the UNIL and other institutions in the Vaud canton.
FMEL
FMEL welcomes over 3,000 students at various locations, mainly within the Lausanne area and offers individual rooms with shared areas (kitchen, etc.), rooms in a shared apartment, studios and apartments for one or two people.
Prices vary depending on the building and type of accommodation but range between CHF 470 and CHF 1,230 (including charges). You should note that you need to allow for an initial payment of CHF 1,200 as a rent guarantee (this is a form of bank guarantee, aimed at protecting FMEL from damage caused to the accommodation by the tenant, or unpaid rent).
Since November 2023, the FMEL has introduced a new online reservation procedure with a waiting list system: students looking for accommodation must create a profile on the FMEL portal and indicate their preferences (contract start date, type of accommodation and budget). If accommodation corresponding to the preferences indicated becomes available, an offer will be sent by e-mail and must be accepted within 48 hours. It is important to note that registration on the FMEL portal does not guarantee accommodation.
As the deadline for current tenants to terminate their contract is two months, an offer of accommodation can be received no earlier than two months before the date indicated in the preferences. Offers are sent out throughout the year as FMEL processes requests for termination.
Most accommodation for September becomes available in July, so offers of back-to-school accommodation are sent out during the summer.