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1,400 responses per listing: the struggle for students to find housing in Paris begins!

undefined undefined 17 juin 2025 undefined 09h30

The Editor

© Hugo Dominguez - Le Bonbon

Summer is approaching, and the Parcoursup results have just come in: for thousands of students, the tedious search for housing in Paris begins. A quest that, according to a study by Particulier à particulier (PAP), promises to be once again full of challenges. 

Just as the stress related to the announcement of Parcoursup results is starting to settle for some, a similarly nerve-wracking quest awaits future Parisian students: the quest for a decent place to live. Each year, from June to September, thousands of people rush onto real estate websites in search of an affordable property, often close to universities. This kicks off a frantic race filled with the trio of visits, applications, and rejections, which is expected to be tough again in 2025, according to the Particulier à particulier (PAP) website.


Over 1,400 applications per listing 

In a dedicated article for first-time student renters, Corinne Jolly, CEO of PAP, emphasizes the « structural imbalance of the market » they are facing. « Despite a slight increase in supply [+14% more available housing], she points out, the pressure remains, especially for the most affordable small units. » Students are indeed leaning more towards studios rather than shared apartments, particularly when these are located near their future university. This influx of applications for these specific types of properties is causing a market saturation : some listings are receiving « 595 to 1,400 applications <. » within three days following their publication, says PAP. 

In detail, the platform analyzed the 100 most requested listings in Paris in recent weeks. 77% of the most sought-after properties are studios with an average size of 15.8 m² renting for 690 €, while 23% are two-room apartments (T2), slightly larger at 28.5 m² with an average rent of 996 €. These figures highlight the significance of the budget criterion, even though rent increases are noteworthy, both in Paris and throughout France. According to the annual LocService.fr barometer, rents have increased by 0.88% compared to last year, a figure that is relatively low compared to other major French cities. 


The "livable" districts prioritized 

The platform also provides information about the most popular districts among students. These aren't necessarily the "most central or prestigious", but are chosen for their " balance between lower prices and reassuring image ". On the podium, we find the 11th, 13th, and 17th, which are more affordable in terms of rent and close to major university hubs (La Sorbonne, Paris Business School, the School of Modern Arts...). 

However, as rejections pile up, workarounds are gradually being adopted by the unfortunate renters. According to a study by the Paris Urban Planning Workshop, 44%...

18-29 year olds in Île-de-France still live under the family roof, while 56% of those enrolled in Parisian universities live outside the capital. Their preferred area: the petite couronne, which has slightly lower rents, but especially much larger spaces. In the top 3 most sought-after cities, we find Montreuil, Ivry-sur-Seine, and Boulogne-Billancourt.