Cherbourg. This father is struggling to find accommodation for his daughter in Caen, he expresses his concern

This is a real obstacle course for students. According to a study carried out by the manager of student residences The Belles Années, Caen is among the French cities where the real estate situation is most tense for young people in higher education.

Of the city’s more than 36,000 students, Calvados30,000 of them have difficulty finding housing. A figure that is constantly augmentation.

Lots of demand, few offers

Recently, the Parcoursup admissions results have been released. This is good news for many students, but also marks the start of the housing hunt for some.

And the competition is likely to be tough. In recent years, rental demand has continued to to increase with an ever lower supply.

According to the Belles Années report, furnished rental properties have decreased by 20 % in 2023while requests have increased by 18 %.

Caen in the top 5

Among the ranking of cities where it is most difficult to find accommodation as a student, Rennes, Lyon, La Rochelle and Caen in 4e position.

A worrying situation for young people and their parents.

“My daughter is going to continue her studies in Caen. We have known about her choice for a month. So we started looking for an apartment for a shared apartment right away. Quite quickly; we realized that it was going to be complicated “, confides Chrismaël, father of a student in Caen.

With his daughter, he scrutinize ads each morning, unfortunately still no follow-up.

These are selling like hotcakes. Especially since the distance is a hindrance. It’s difficult to make an appointment during the day when you have to travel back and forth between Cherbourg and Caen.

Lots of frustrations

But getting a tour is just the first stage for families.

Besides the concurrencesome have to face some surprises once there.

“When we manage to get an appointment for a visit, we often find ourselves with ten other applicants. Clearly, owners are spoiled for choice and have every chance of renting their property,” explains Chrismaël.

Some people, moreover, have no qualms about offering apartments in very poor condition and at exorbitant prices. We had this experience when we went back and forth to Caen, only to realize after two seconds that we were visiting a slum.

An approach that could prove disappointing, especially since travel expenses is added to the bill.

« It’s frustrating “Certainly. Especially since we incur expenses without realizing it,” adds the father.

The latter does not intend to give up and hopes that with ” a work of research and patience “He and his daughter will find” the rare pearls ».

Morgane JUVANY

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