Real Estate / Location. In Grenoble, Avignon, Lyon… What is the rental power of a couple?
Like real estate purchasing power, the rental power of the French (the area that a household can rent according to its median income) varies according to the city. What is it? Has it recently evolved? Answers with a study* by SeLoger, a real estate advertisement portal, which examines these questions in 51 French cities.
An accessible surface of 77 m2
According to INSEE, in 2022, 40% of French people are tenants of their main residence. Contrary to what one might think, their average rental power in France is currently at its highest level for the past 20 years.
According to SeLoger, this is due to an economic dynamic that has contributed to an increase in income, while rents have not increased significantly due to the rent review index (IRL) which limited this increase. In fact, over the past eight years, disposable income has increased more significantly than rents (+18% for income, against +5.1% for rents). The result is notable in terms of the rental power of the French: at 1uh November 2022, the median income of a couple allows them to rent an unfurnished apartment with an area of 77 m2i.e. +9 m² compared to 2014 (68 m²).
“However, its evolution for a year (+ 0.8%) is much less strong than it was before, a probable sign of tensions to come on the market”, underlines the study of SeLoger.
Certain signs attract attention, such as the stock of properties for rent, which has been growing since 2019. “It is now experiencing a 9.8% drop in the past year”, specifies Barbara Castillo Rico, head of economic studies at SeLoger.
And with the coming bans on renting thermal passives (housing classified F or G under the DPE) if energy renovation work is not carried out, the stock could decrease further.
Quimper, Le Mans, Dijon… among the cities with the highest rental power
Rental power is above the national average, particularly in Quimper (93 m² for an unfurnished apartment), Le Mans (85 m²), Bourges (84 m²), Limoges (83 m2) and Dijon (82 m2).
Colmar, Strasbourg, Grenoble… an area ranging from nearly 60 m2 at 76m2
In Strasbourg and Villeurbanne, a couple can hope to rent an unfurnished apartment of 58 m2as she climbs 67m2 in Lyon, 71 m2 in Metz and Grenoble, 74 m2 in Saint-Étienne, Colmar and Besançon and 76 m2 at Nancy.
Roubaix, Paris, Nice, Mulhouse… among the bad students
The three cities with the lowest rental power for an unfurnished apartment are Roubaix (36 m²), Paris (46 m²) and Nice (50 m²). Mulhouse is in fourth place with an accessible area of 51 m2. The city of Avignon is not far with a lettable area of 55 m2 for a couple.
* It takes into account the price of rents and the median monthly income available for a two-person household depending on the city.