Overview
- Long early-morning queues formed at agencies such as Julio Gerpe as students joined arrival-order lists and took part in grouped viewings to try to secure flats for the year.
- Agencies note students are registered by order of arrival and shown flats in groups of about 15–20, with earlier arrivals choosing first.
- Students and families say they expect to pay about €300 per person each month, which equates to roughly €800–€900 for a three-bedroom flat.
- Available units often have problems such as interior-only rooms, old windows and damp, and some owners have converted living rooms into extra bedrooms to raise rents.
- The rush in Santiago mirrors a wider regional squeeze that is pushing searches earlier, prompting families to offer deposits or guarantees, and forcing many students to accept less central or lower-quality housing.