The closure of Mobili-Pass on June 30, 2023, has left a structural gap in housing support for employees relocated or recruited to a new job market. Companies that relied on this scheme to finance double rent, agency fees, or security deposits must now assemble a more fragmented array of tools, with distinct eligibility criteria.
Mobility lease and service residences: often underestimated legal constraints
The mobility lease remains the most suitable contract for a temporary mission. Capped at ten months and non-renewable, it relieves the tenant from paying a security deposit. In practice, we observe that this absence of a deposit does not eliminate the difficulty: landlords almost systematically require the Visale guarantee, which means that the employee must be eligible (under thirty years old, or relocated from a private sector company).
For profiles outside the Visale criteria, the employer’s guarantee becomes the only realistic option. The company then commits jointly, which implies internal legal validation and a financial risk rarely accounted for in HR budgets.
Service residences (aparthotels, business residences) offer an operational alternative for missions lasting from a few weeks to a few months. Their limitation is twofold: a nightly cost often exceeds the monthly rent when calculated daily, and a lack of stable domiciliation for the employee’s administrative procedures. Understanding housing for professional mobility in its regulatory dimension allows for better arbitration between these options.
Action Logement schemes after the end of Mobili-Pass
The disappearance of Mobili-Pass does not mean that Action Logement has left the mobility field. Two tools remain active and relevant for employees in the non-agricultural private sector.
- The Loca-Pass Advance finances the security deposit in the form of an interest-free loan, repayable over a maximum of twenty-five months. It is aimed at private sector employees and young people under thirty seeking employment or in work-study programs.
- The Visale guarantee covers unpaid rents and rental damages. It targets young people aged eighteen to thirty inclusive, as well as employees over thirty-one in transition or starting a new job in the private sector.
- The Action Logement rental stock offers social or intermediate housing accessible through a dedicated professional mobility service, provided that the new job is located more than seventy kilometers from the current residence or requires more than one hour and fifteen minutes of travel.
We recommend that HR services check eligibility on a case-by-case basis: criteria vary according to age, type of contract, and the size of the contributing company.
France Travail assistance for temporary accommodation during job resumption
A rarely exploited aspect by employers concerns mobility assistance provided by France Travail. This assistance is not limited to transportation: it also covers accommodation and meal expenses for a job seeker resuming activity, in training, or in professional immersion, as long as the distance or travel time justifies it.
This scheme is aimed at individuals registered with France Travail, not directly at employees in position. The benefit for the company lies upstream: when recruiting a geographically distant candidate, directing this future collaborator to France Travail before signing the contract allows for accommodation coverage during the first weeks.
Coordination with employer obligations
The France Travail assistance does not exempt the company from its own obligations. Coverage of at least 50% of public transport subscriptions remains due, even when the employee combines several tickets to cover the entire home-work journey. The Sustainable Mobility Package can be combined with it, with an increased exemption ceiling in case of combination.
Employer policy: structuring a mobility package without Mobili-Pass
Without a dedicated external subsidy, the company must build its own scheme. Three levers combine coherently.
The first is contractual: integrating a temporary housing coverage clause in the transfer letter or employment contract. This clause can cover furnished accommodation for a defined period (three to six months), with a monthly ceiling aligned with the rents in the arrival area. The resulting benefit in kind must be declared.
The second lever is direct assistance for relocation. The actual cost of an interregional move varies greatly depending on volume and distance. The employer can cover all or part of these expenses, either through reimbursement upon presentation of receipts or via a negotiated flat rate with a service provider. This item is deductible for the company.
The third lever concerns the rental guarantee. When the employee does not meet the Visale conditions, the employer’s guarantee or recourse to a private guarantee organization unlocks access to the traditional rental market. Some companies negotiate framework agreements with guarantee organizations to simplify the process.
Common mistakes in implementation
The first mistake is treating mobility on a case-by-case basis, without an internal grid. Each transfer then generates an individual negotiation, which is time-consuming and creates inequalities among employees. The second is forgetting the tax aspect: providing housing without declaring the benefit in kind exposes the company to an Urssaf reassessment.
The post-Mobili-Pass framework requires employers to formalize what was previously an external aid. Companies that regularly recruit outside their job market have an interest in building a documented mobility policy, with clear eligibility criteria and a dedicated annual budget, rather than compensating on a case-by-case basis for a public aid that will not return.
