Student residence dilemma surfacing in Lyon as educational institutions resume operations

In the heart of France, the city of Lyon is facing a significant challenge: a saturated real estate market, particularly when it comes to student housing. This issue has left many students, like Tiphaine Parennes, scrambling to find an affordable place to call home.

Tiphaine, a student with a budget of 550 euros, has spent the entire summer searching for an apartment in Lyon without success. She's submitted around thirty applications, but so far, her efforts have been in vain. Meanwhile, Rajaâ Johnson, an apartment hunter for the Melanô Relocation agency, is juggling last-minute requests as she navigates this competitive market.

The situation is not unique to Tiphaine. Many students in Lyon are turning to colocation to cope with the apartment shortage. However, not all have been fortunate. Some families have been tricked and scammed on online apartment ads, requiring them to pay deposits immediately and secure temporary housing.

On the other hand, Raphaël Galley, an 18-year-old student from Bordeaux, recently found an apartment after searching since late June. His apartment, measuring 42 m2, is larger than expected but 200 euros more expensive than his budget. Raphaël had to adjust his budget to accommodate the higher rental cost.

The "Alur" law against energy-wasting apartments has removed many apartments from the rental market in Lyon, further exacerbating the shortage. Real estate agent Daphnée Corre of César et Brutus states that they receive around 100 to 300 applications per day for student apartments in Lyon. Yet, by mid-July, all small apartments at César et Brutus in Lyon were already rented.

The lack of new construction is another contributing factor to the tension in the Lyon real estate market. Rajaâ Johnson is currently visiting a two-bedroom apartment in a new building for a Parisian student who paid a 1000 euro fee. Despite the high cost, it's a testament to the demand for new, modern living spaces in Lyon.

For Tiphaine, the search for an apartment continues. Her daily commute involves hours of travel each day as she resides in a family home in a neighboring department due to the lack of apartments in Lyon. But she remains hopeful, as does Raphaël, who understands the circumstances and accepts the compromise he's made.

In Lyon, the struggle for affordable student housing persists, but so does the resilience of those seeking a place to call home.

Student residence dilemma surfacing in Lyon as educational institutions resume operations