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Rennes Apartments for Rent
You can find Rennes to the west of France in the region of Brittany, of which it is the capital. It’s a fairly small city but with a lot going on. The city of Rennes has a population of approximately 200,000 people, and more than a quarter of this is made up of students. This demographic lends to the city’s active nightlife on the weekends and also Thursday nights, which is the main night out for students.
People come from all over the world to study in Rennes, so the population is impressively multinational. It also has a thriving economy with one of the lowest unemployment rates in all of France, making it a big attraction for professional expats looking to relocate. It has been ranked as one of the best French cities to start a business in, so it’s also a great place for entrepreneurs and freelancers.
Of all the cities in France, average rent prices are almost at their lowest in Rennes, but this doesn’t mean you have to negotiate on quality when finding Rennes apartments. The cost of living is generally low but the quality of life is still comfortably high, so you could find luxury apartments in Rennes, France for around half the price of cities like Paris.
If you’re looking for Rennes apartments for rent, Nestpick has a great selection of short and long-term accommodation waiting for you to discover.
Apartments in Rennes by district
Rennes is divided into 12 different districts, referred to as ‘quarters’. These include Le Centre, Thabor, Saint-Martin, Sud Gare, Le Blosne, and Bréquigny. Each quarter has its own perks in terms of living there and lots of different accommodation types are available across the districts. The city is generally safe with low crime rates, so all of Rennes’ quarters are considered nice places to live and apartments in each quarter are sought after by locals and expats alike.
As the city isn’t too large, either, it’s easy to get from one district to the next. So, even if you live in one of the outer quarters, you’re never too far away from the centre of the city and everything that’s going on there. This also means you can easily explore all 12 quarters no matter which one you choose to live in.
Most attractive areas for apartments in Rennes
Rennes centre
As with any city centre, Le Centre in Rennes is a hive of activity and culture. You can get a taste of local French cuisine every Saturday when a large market is held from 6am – 1.30pm in the centre of town. This has a variety of food and drinks on offer at affordable prices. You can even try some French delicacies such as snails, or escargot.
There is a great variety of architectural styles on display in the centre of Rennes, partly due to a large fire destroying much of the northern part of the district in the 18th century. As a result, the southern part of the city centre has much more traditional houses and buildings, mostly made from timber, on display while the northern part was largely rebuilt with stone. Many half-timbered houses can be seen around the city centre in an array of colours. The north also contains many grand townhouses known as hôtels particuliers, most notably along the Places des Lices.
So, accommodation in the centre of Rennes is extremely varied in style due to the combination of traditional and more modern architecture. A range of apartments and houses are available to buy and rent in the city centre. One-bedroom apartments in Rennes Centre are available to rent from around €500 and upwards of this price depending on the size and quality of the apartment.
Apartments Thabor
Thabor is a quarter that is adjacent to the city centre of Rennes to its east. It is home to a few college and university campuses, so it is one of the regions in Rennes that is popular to live in among students, who also enjoy the advantages of being so close to the city centre. The area even has its own nightclub, The Gatsby Club, and various bars and other entertainment venues, including the National Theatre of Brittany for a more cultured evening out.
Young professionals are also drawn to Thabor for its central location, while expats relocating with their family can also find a convenient home in Thabor thanks to the local primary school and the variety of nearby parks to spend time in with the kids. Thabor contains one of the city’s most popular attractions, Parc du Thabor. This parkland covers 24 acres with beautiful landscapes, thousands of species of plants, and an aviary containing various species of small, colourful birds.
Apartments in Thabor are as varied as the population inhabiting the quarter, with students and expats from all over the world living side-by-side with local French residents. You can find a range of studio apartments, one or two-bedroom flats, or terraced houses in the central quarter of Thabor.
Apartments in quartier Saint-Martin
The quarter of Saint-Martin is located immediately to the north of Le Centre. Saint-Martin is primarily a residential area, although it does have a selection of bars and restaurants in the quarter as well as the local shops and supermarkets. Residents flock to Saint-Martin as it is separate from the city centre while still being so close. This means you have enough peace and quiet to live in while having such easy access to the hustle and bustle of the city centre whenever you want it.
Saint-Martin also has plenty of nice, green land on display, including the Prairies Saint-Martin next to the River Ille providing some fantastic views on your way into the centre. It is a great place to live for a variety of people, including students and young professionals for its proximity to the city centre nightlife and nearby university campuses. It also has all the amenities you’d need, even for families moving to Rennes with small children thanks to the Crèche Melba in the centre of the quarter.
Like the rest of the city, apartments to rent in quartier Saint-Martin are reasonably priced with average monthly rent prices standing at around €450 and upwards of this. There’s a range of accommodation on offer to suit your needs, whether you’re moving to Saint-Martin, Rennes on your own or with your family.
Student accommodation in Rennes France
With more than 60,000 students living in Renne, France, you’ll never be short of nights out and people to meet when moving to this city to attend university. With such a large student population living in the city, it is important that there is enough affordable accommodation to meet these demands.
The two main universities located in the city are Université de Rennes 1, with its main campuses in Thabor and the centre of Rennes, and Université Rennes 2, located in the Villejean-Beauregard quarter. So, these three quarters are the primary locations for student accommodation in the city, as well as nearby quarters like Saint-Martin which lies between the two university areas. As it is fairly easy to get between all the quarters, you can actually find student apartments and shared houses all around Rennes if you’re looking for something slightly further away from the city centre.
With such a reasonable cost of living in the city of Rennes, it is a great city for students. The rent prices for student accommodation in the city is extremely affordable, and students benefit form a thriving nightlife around the centre.
Public transportation in Rennes France
Rennes boasts a widely extensive public transport system made up primarily of bus routes and the city’s metro. A second metro line is also under construction to add to the convenience of getting around the city. The city’s bus network consists of 65 different lines around the 12 quarters, making it easy to get into the city centre from wherever you live in Rennes.
If you want to get out of Rennes to visit one of the nearby French or European cities, or to travel further afield to visit home, then the city has its own airport, Rennes Brittany Airport, and train station, the Gare de Rennes. The airport regularly serves the UK and Western Europe, while you could get the train to Paris from Gare de Rennes in less than an hour and a half.