Campus of the University of Bordeaux in Pessac.

(Illustration) -

S. ORTOLA / 20 MINUTES

  • Shortage of supply and explosion in rental prices are still present in this fall.

  • For L'Unis, the Union of real estate unions, classic rental should be favored to the detriment of Airbnb, to encourage owners to put their property back on the market.

  • Former vice-president of the metropolis for higher education, Fabien Robert recalls that a plan in favor of student housing was voted in February, and provides for the construction of 600 student social housing per year over the next ten years.

A 20 m2 at la Victoire at 780 euros, a 32 m2 at the station at 900 euros, or even a 22 m2 at Bacalan at 750 euros ... Whatever the neighborhoods, rental prices for small surfaces are still soaring this fall, to the great misfortune of students looking for emergency accommodation before class resumes.

According to a study by the rental site LocService, "rental demand in Bordeaux is stable this year compared to 2019 (3,370 requests against 3,480 in 2019)" and the average rent would only increase by 0.82% in one year , and stands at 741 euros for an average surface area of ​​40.8 m2, or 18.15 euros per m2.

"A lot of homes were taken earlier this year"

If this return seems at least as tense as those of 2019 or 2018, two dark years in the student housing market, it is also confronted with the health context.

“We do 30% of our activity with students, explains Richard Horbette, founder of LocService, and usually it starts strong the day after the results of the bac, at the beginning of July.

However, this year, most of the final year students knew that they would have the Bac, so that we had a very big activity from the month of June, and a lot of accommodations were taken earlier this year.

"

Second phenomenon, analyzes Catherine Coutellier de Unis (Union of real estate unions) Nouvelle-Aquitaine, "we thought that because of the Covid crisis, the disappointed Airbnb would put their accommodation back to conventional rental, this which would have given oxygen to the market, but not at all.

The basic problem is that traditional housing no longer appeals to the lessor.

Today, you have overprotection of the tenant - sometimes legitimate - and when you see the difference in profitability with Airbnb, and the flexibility of the process compared to traditional rentals, owners no longer want to rent traditional.

"

"Emergency and housing do not go together"

So what can be done to combat this phenomenon of student housing shortage?

In addition to the incentive for private owners, according to Catherine Coutellier, it is necessary to “relax the rules of construction, stop freezing land, to offer more offers.

In Bordeaux, we did not anticipate the migratory flow brought by the LGV, and which will be reinforced by the Covid crisis because the region is becoming more and more attractive.

The University of Bordeaux must also use its land to build modular housing with coworking spaces.

"

Former first deputy mayor of Bordeaux, and former vice-president of the metropolis for higher education, Fabien Robert (MoDem), now in the opposition, believes that “emergency and housing do not go together.

"" Yes, there was a delay, yes there was a lack of anticipation, which was collective, but no we are not going to catch up by snapping our fingers.

I do not believe in the stories of prefabricated housing, because it ages badly, and it recreates precariousness.

"On the other hand," among the urgent measures that have been taken, the city of Bordeaux was one of the first to fight against the Airbnb phenomenon, and made it possible to put about 1,000 homes back on the market "estimates the former deputy.

Ten year plan

A ten-year plan in favor of student housing was also adopted in the metropolis last February.

“It plans to build with the CROUS and the region 6,000 additional housing units between 2020 and 2030, underlines Fabien Robert.

This would make it possible to go from 8.5% of social student housing to 12%, while the average in France is around 11%.

The other objective is to convince private developers to build more student accommodation.

But it will take two to three student returns for this to be seen.

"

Vice-president in charge of student life at the University of Bordeaux, Anne-Marie Tournepiche recognizes that “the process is long.

"However, she hopes to see the first homes emerge on the land of the university" by 2023-2024, in particular on the Carreire site near the medical school and near the sports university.

"

Appeal to university staff

The vice-president also recalls that the university took initiatives last year.

“We have set up an emergency platform for students who are in great precariousness, it offers around twenty old accommodations previously dedicated to international researchers.

We also called on the university staff, asking them when they had a room to rent it out for a student.

We had about twenty proposals.

It is not much, of course, but it shows that everyone can do things.

"

If the university does not have precise data on the number of students looking for accommodation, "because many do not come to us", it notes that last year, "262 students in difficulty of rental Contacted her.

In 2018, “they were nearly 500” points out Anne-Marie Tournepiche.

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A week dedicated to student accommodation

From this Tuesday, the housing week dedicated to students begins, on the site dedicated to this new school year in 2020, hello.u.bordeaux.fr, with conferences dedicated to various issues.

The university also offers an online platform dedicated to student accommodation (studapart.com).

  • Society

  • Back to School

  • Aquitaine

  • Bordeaux

  • Housing

  • University

  • Student housing