Supply is decreasing and prices are increasing. This is the scenario faced by those who want to rent an apartment, who during the summer are traditionally university students. Thus, from the real estate agency Zurcasa in Valladolid, accustomed to working with the youth sector due to its location near the faculties, it is assured that this year the search has been advanced. “In May we already showed apartments in which other students still live,” explains the owner of the company, Ester Lorenzo, who acknowledges having received “many requests.” The announcements did not last long, he explains, because what also happened last year is that the procedures “were done very quickly.” “If they liked it, they kept it,” he says.
The president of the Associations of Real Estate Agents of Castilla y León, José Manuel Martín, shares this same vision of the supply in free fall. According to him, the demand for this type of rental remains stable, but the difficulties come from the fact that many owners no longer consider renting. And it is not because they reject the group of university students. In fact, he assures that there are those who prefer it because “By renting rooms, the return is higher than with the whole floor,” he said.
The obstacles, he said, come from the new housing law because the “lessor’s guarantees” are limited in favor of the tenant. An “absolutely insane” regulatory text that, according to Martín, makes owners fear making their homes available to temporary tenants, for fear of not being paid “and not being able to demand anything.” “Prices are simply increasing because there are no homes to rent,” he believes, after specifying that prices vary greatly depending on the region. According to his estimate, a “three-bedroom apartment” could cost around 600 euros per month and a room 300.
Meanwhile, the student residences They have had the full sign up for some time now. In León, they already have a waiting list, explains the president of the association that represents these establishments, Adrián Álvarez, who does not believe that this growing interest in their places is due to an exorbitant increase in rents. The explanation, he explains, is rather that the residences “solve” certain tasks like cleaning or having to do errands in an academic context where “many hours are spent at the faculty”. So, while previously, in the third year, many university students moved into a rented apartment with friends, perhaps because of their savings, now many of them stay. In their case, almost a hundred places had already been reserved in April.
The residences and apartments available at the University of Valladolid are also full, explains its vice-rector to students, Cristina de la Rosa, who claims that this saturation is due to “security” what their parents, who are the ones paying, are looking for for their children.
