Rental Market Tension in College Towns: Disparities Revealed
Now that the Parcoursup platform has released its results on May 30, 2024, prospective students will have to face the reality of the rental market, which is particularly tight in some cities.
Lyon, the most competitive student city outside of Paris
With nearly five applicants for every available unit, Lyon ranks as the most competitive student city outside of Paris. Students looking for housing will therefore need to stack the odds in their favor and start their search as early as possible if they hope to find a place to live. The average rent in Lyon is 598 euros, including utilities.
Disparities Among College Towns
While some college towns are particularly popular and therefore experience high rental demand, other cities offer more attractive opportunities for students. This is the case in Poitiers and Metz, where the number of available housing units is nearly equal to the number of students seeking them.
Among the cities facing the greatest housing strain are Rennes (466 euros for housing) and Bordeaux, where the balance between supply and demand is deteriorating. Other cities, such as Paris (907 euros for housing), Nice (664 euros), Toulouse (514 euros), and Caen (430 euros), are also experiencing a worsening of the ratio between the number of students looking for rental housing and
the supply available over the course of a year.
Looking for a one-bedroom apartment as a priority
According to the LocService barometer, students are primarily looking for studio apartments or one-bedroom units, which account for 61% of requests on the platform. To rent a 24-square-meter studio, the average cost is 554 euros, including utilities, representing a 0.7% increase over the past year. Rooms, meanwhile, rent for an average of 437 euros for 14 m², and two-room apartments (T2) measuring 42 m² rent for 743 euros, representing a 2.5% increase.
"Overall, demand has changed little since 2023, and the housing market remains very tight in most major cities," says Ivan Thiébault, head of research at Locservice.fr. Students will therefore need to redouble their efforts and plan ahead to find housing in the cities with the tightest housing markets.
