Find student housing near EPFL in Lausanne

For student housing near EPFL, the first option is the Fondation Maisons pour Étudiants Lausanne (FMEL). It rents shared rooms and furnished studios on the campus itself (Atrium), right next to it (Triaudes) and at the Health Campus in Chavannes-près-Renens (Neostar), from CHF 510 to 750 per month for a room and from CHF 750 to 950 for a studio, utilities included.

Places are limited and allocated by an automated system: you need to register early and have a plan B. On the private market, rooms in private homes are often more accessible to international students than apartments managed by agencies. This guide details the residences, eligibility conditions, timetable and other options.

A tight market around the campus

On 1 June 2026, the canton of Vaud has 3,907 vacant homes, a rate of 0.87% according to Statistique Vaud. The market is considered balanced from 1.5%, a threshold not reached since 1999. In the Ouest lausannois district, where EPFL is located, the rate went from 0.47% to 0.67% in one year: a slight improvement, but the shortage persists.

Student residences are saturated too. FMEL reports a vacancy rate below 0.5% in 2025. In summer 2025, its director told Le Temps of more than 2,000 requests and more than 1,300 applications turned down for the new term, adding that almost 80% of the students it houses are enrolled at EPFL.

The FMEL residences closest to EPFL

EPFL does not own its own housing stock: the residences are run by foundations, agencies or other bodies, each with its own allocation rules. FMEL is the main player, with more than 4,000 beds. Three of its houses are particularly well placed for EPFL.

Atrium, on the campus

In Écublens, at the heart of the campus, Atrium has 344 furnished shared rooms of 19.5 m² (for 2, 4, 6 or 8 students), each with its own bathroom, and 172 furnished studios of 23 m² for one or two people. The building includes shops, restaurants and a medical centre. Rates: CHF 740 per month for a room, CHF 950 for a studio.

Triaudes, a stone's throw away

Also in Écublens, next to Atrium, the Triaudes offer 202 shared rooms of 14 to 15 m² (2 to 4 students, shared bathrooms) and 48 studios of 25 to 26 m². It is the cheapest option in the area: CHF 510 per month for a room, CHF 750 for a studio.

Neostar, at the Health Campus

Opened in 2026 in Chavannes-près-Renens, Neostar welcomed its first students at the start of term. It has 196 shared rooms of about 14 m² (4 or 6 students) with a private bathroom and 290 studios of about 19 m². Rates: CHF 750 per month for a room, CHF 950 for a studio.

In all three houses, the rent includes internet, water, electricity, heating and insurance (fire, third-party liability, burglary). The deposit is CHF 1,200. People subject to the tourist tax pay CHF 37 more per month. Sheets, pillows, duvet and tableware are not provided.

Who can book and how

• Eligibility: Bachelor's or Master's students enrolled at EPFL, UNIL or the partner Vaud universities of applied sciences, as well as those enrolled in EPFL's Special Mathematics Courses (CMS). Doctoral candidates, students in a preparatory or foundation year and Master's degree holders cannot book.
• Registration: you create an account on the FMEL portal and state dates, type of housing and budget. You do not choose the house.
• Offer: when a home matches, a proposal arrives by email; you have 48 hours to accept it. On the waiting list, you must confirm your request every month within seven days, otherwise you go back to the bottom of the list.
• Lease: minimum duration of three months, renewed every six months, maximum duration of three years. Two months' notice after the first three months.

EPFL's Housing service recommends not waiting for your admission to submit a request, watching the registration opening dates (often two sessions a year, sometimes open for only one to five days) and applying to several residences. For the September start, allocations generally take place in July and August.