In Nice, more than elsewhere, finding an apartment is a real struggle. Here’s a look back at the journeys of students in their quest for accommodation, summer edition 2011.
Almost every year it’s the same struggle. Finding an apartment in Nice is a bit like searching for a parking spot: it takes a lot of time… and patience. Prices are not very accessible for the most modest budgets, and CROUS waiting lists fill up quickly. Marine, 21, from Marseille, applied for 3 university residences. Her calls were met with promises: “yes, you’ll see, just wait a little…” but she was not allocated anything. As a result, she rented an apartment far from Valrose University where she studies, while trying to find something closer. However, as summer ended, the availability decreased, and the idea of moving to another place was abandoned.
It is very difficult to find an apartment in Nice, especially in or near university activity hubs. This is even more true for those who delay… Yet some do not lose hope of finding something in September, like Allan who jumped on the first apartment that matched his criteria. €830 for a 45 m² three-room apartment, shared between two, compared to a 25 m² one he had previously at just €390. He didn’t really choose to share, but he embraces it as a “new enriching adventure,” despite an evident loss in terms of space per price.
System D and ZOU card
The system D is still an ever-present part of the apartment search. In addition to the usual free options, the internet holds a few sites like leboncoin, adele.org, or even announcements posted at CROUS. To save time, there are owners contacted through free listings who then refer you to an agency just for a visit, or students leaving who pass their apartments to friends.
Anne-Laure, 20, a science student at Valrose, is a unique case. Last year, exhausted by the commutes from her family home to the faculty and study sessions for her exams, she settled in Nice. This is a choice she won’t be renewing this year, partly thanks to the ZOU card. Even though Mougins isn’t next door, having a train subscription has been a plus: “I don’t need an apartment to pay a high rent knowing I don’t have much work and the train is free.” At €450 for 15 m², it’s understandable.
Shared housing is not as widespread here as in major European cities, and the smallest accommodations are the ones with the highest price per square meter. With the lack of CROUS housing, there don’t seem to be any miracle solutions. If there’s no room in Nice and student and parent budgets must be spared, they might as well stay at their family home if it’s within commuting distance. The Ligne d’Azur network already offered attractive rates (€150/year) but until tram 2 arrives, connecting East and West is fairly time-consuming. The train with the ZOU card allowing free travel complements this with the TER network. Ultimately, the solution to address apartment congestion is to financially encourage young individuals from the Azure region to stay with their parents.
