For several years, students at the University of La Laguna (ULL) have been grappling with an escalating issue that has evolved beyond mere financial concerns into what can only be described as a genuine crisis: the challenge of securing affordable accommodation for their studies. La Laguna and its neighbouring areas have witnessed a dramatic surge in rental costs. Properties that were reasonably priced just a few years ago have now increased their rates by two or three times, without any evident enhancements. This trend particularly impacts those students coming from other islands or municipalities located far from La Laguna’s urban centre, such as individuals from southern Tenerife, who, due to the distance, must seek housing near their university.
“I was incredibly fortunate,” concedes Diego Delgado, a Journalism student at the ULL from Los Cristianos. He acknowledges that securing an apartment was more a matter of chance rather than an easily accessible system: his sister-in-law provided him with the landlady’s contact details, a fortunate connection that is not available to all students. However, Diego also admits that the vast majority of students do not possess this advantage and are left to navigate a market characterised by “limited supply and overwhelming demand.”
Another fourth-year Journalism student, Diego Sánchez, originally from Adeje, observes that “the current rental prices are extortionate,” obscuring the necessary correlation between quality and price. Based on his experience, he notes that a rent which previously cost 650 euros has surged to between 750 and 800 euros. “Five years ago, my rent was 220 euros per month; now I am paying 300 just for electricity and water. That’s an increase of nearly 100 euros each month,” he states, highlighting the drastic price hike, which also results in increased challenges to sustain his monthly living expenses. For Diego Sánchez, the quality of available apartments has deteriorated in a “concerning” manner compared to the rising costs. “I have viewed apartments in dismal condition, outdated, for which they charge between 750 and 800 euros.” He encapsulates the predicament succinctly: “There are no alternatives.”
Samuel Jacinto, a second-year Physiotherapy student, likewise paints a grim picture regarding his accommodation search. “I reside in La Cuesta as the prices are more affordable there; in central La Laguna, rents do not fall below 300-350 euros per month, which is unaffordable for me as a student,” he explains. He also laments the poor condition of some properties, describing them as “rooms that are little more than a makeshift cardboard dwelling on the street.”
The situation is one of “genuine exploitation,” remarks Lisbeth Agueda, a second-year law student. Although he previously paid 300 euros for his room, this year his landlady has increased the charge to 425 euros without any evident reason. “The landlord has repeatedly informed me that the price was going to rise, yet I have no understanding as to why—she has not made any significant improvements, and the rent has effectively doubled,” the Isorana student expresses, clearly frustrated.
Frauds and loss of deposits
Beyond financial obstacles, some students from the south are also encountering distressing situations with landlords, venturing into experiences that exceed legal boundaries. Diego Sánchez recalls one instance in an apartment in Vistabella where, at the end of his tenancy, he was wrongly accused, in his view, of returning the property in poor shape, resulting in the forfeiture of his deposit of over 1,200 euros. Samuel endured a similarly regrettable incident this year when he fell victim to a scam.
