Half as many rental properties in some cities, demand increasing… An update on the catastrophic figures for the start of the student year (and advice on finding an apartment despite everything).
It is a discipline that requires perseverance and responsiveness. The search for an apartment to rent can last for weeks, with some students even giving up their studies because they have not found one. And this new school year will probably be even more complicated than the last.
As an illustration of this never-ending housing crisis, applications are in the hundreds. A 12m² studio for 615 euros posted on the Beanstock platform received more than 1,016 applications in two weeks. And the situation is only getting worse.
This explosion in demand for rental properties is all the more visible when we compare the same accommodation put on the market two back-to-back school years. For example, a 14m² studio for 710 euros per month in Paris received 335 applications in one week at the start of the 2023 school year. This year, it was 566, an increase of almost 70%, according to data from Beanstock.
And the trends are similar in Marseille and Lille. In the Phocaean city, a 27m² apartment at 650 euros per month received 126 applications in one week in 2023, compared to 147 in 2024 (+17%).
The same thing happened in the capital of Flanders: 208 applications were submitted for a 21m² studio advertised at 680 euros per month at the start of the 2023 school year. Put back on the market in 2024, the same apartment received 252 applications (+21%).
Fewer and fewer homes to rent
At the same time, the supply of available housing is plummeting. According to the latest statistics from the Bien’Ici website, at the national level this summer, the number of advertisements fell by 16% compared to last summer. The volume of rental advertisements has even been halved compared to before Covid.
At the local level, the number of rental properties has fallen by 21% over a year in Aix-en-Provence, by 25% in Bordeaux, by 29% in Paris. The drop is even 40% in Angers and Marseille. In Lyon, Strasbourg, Lille and Nice, the volume of advertisements has been divided by two. Finally, in the very student city of Rennes, the offer has melted by almost 80%.
Not only are there fewer listings overall, but housing for rent at the most affordable (or least prohibitive) rates is becoming scarce. At Beanstock, the number of properties for rent in Paris for less than 900 euros per month has dropped from 1,250 at the start of the 2021 school year to 190 at the start of the 2024 school year.
Why are there so few offers?
The first hypothesis is that owners who put their properties up for rent during the Olympic Games are slow to put them back on the traditional long-term rental circuit. The Bien’ici platform says it hopes for an influx of properties in September after the Olympic period.
Second reason, owners are less and less encouraged to invest: local taxation, rent caps, energy renovation obligations, end of the Pinel scheme for new builds which offered nice tax rebates to those who bought a property to rent it out. Rental investment is less and less profitable, which encourages owners to resell their property (for example to an owner-occupier) rather than rent it out. Which therefore causes housing to leave the private rental market.
In addition, interest rates remain an undeniable obstacle. While they are clearly starting to fall again, they are still much higher than they were three years ago. Because of these high credit rates that are eroding purchasing power, tenants are no longer rushing to buy. They are therefore staying longer and longer in the homes they occupy.
And this is reflected in the length of leases. In 2022, at the manager Imodirect, a lease was signed for 30 months on average, compared to 40 months today. This means that tenants are staying in their apartment for almost a year longer.
For furnished studios, a priority target for students and young workers, the average duration has increased from 18 to 26 months. And the consequences of this rental market crisis for students are considerable.
Due to a lack of available housing, 31% of them have delayed their transition to independent living, according to an Opinionway survey published in July. 20% of them had to return to their parents’ home even though they had already left the family cocoon and 12% gave up on continuing their studies.
Tips for finding accommodation
In this context, how can you put all the chances on your side to find a rental property? Faced with increased competition between candidates, the minimum will be to be ready to pull out your digital and complete file upon the visit.
It is also necessary to present solid guarantors or a Visale guarantee. This public and free guarantee assures the owner of the payment of rents. Simply go to the Visale guarantee website before the visit to obtain an approval number.
To stand out from other candidates, certain documents can also make a difference. Such as a letter of recommendation from your previous landlord if this is not your first rental. Also, don’t hesitate to say if you have a professional activity in addition to your studies.
You can also scour student networks for good deals. Also take care of your digital identity by being careful of compromising photos on social networks, especially if you are a party animal.
You can finally consider shared accommodation by searching on the dedicated sites Appartager, colocatère, locservice or la carte des colocs. The last option may be to broaden the search field according to the available public transport.
Marie Coeurderoy with Marine Cardot
