“It's the Wild West”: when finding a parking space or garage to rent in Sète turns into a nightmare

Les places de parking à louer sont rares et parent rapidement une fois mises sur le marché. Midi Libre – W. N.

To avoid parking on the public highway and driving around in circles before finding a space, people from Sète are looking to rent a garage or parking space. Many of them have had no success.

For a year, Julien Haccoun has been scouring websites like Leboncoin and Facebook groups looking for a garage to rent in Sète. He bought an apartment two years ago in the city center and only his partner has been able to find a place to park his car. He is still looking for a closed garage for his vehicle, which he currently parks on the street or Place de la République, but which he finds damaged several times.“I'm sick of seeing my car deteriorate little by little”, laments the Sète resident.

“A message in a bottle”

He's not the only one who despairs of never finding a parking space or garage to rent in Sète. On social networks, ads occasionally appear. “We're looking for a garage in the upper part of Sète. I know, a message in a bottle”, shares one Internet user. “I am looking for a garage rental as close to the city center as possible (I know it is not easy…)”, wrote another a few weeks earlier. For many residents or workers in Sète, renting a parking space would solve the daily search for a parking space, driving around Sète several times. There still has to be enough offers.

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Which is not the case, assures Stéphane Rancelant, real estate consultant at Human Immobilier. “It's a rare commodity in Sète, as in other city centers. Many tenants keep their space or garage for a very long time. It's a bit like the Wild West”, explains the professional. Thus, when the real estate agency publishes an ad for such a property, it generally only takes a few hours to find a buyer. “We have a sort of waiting list, but some have been looking for a year, two, or even three”, says Stéphane Rancelant.

“Below 100 €, you can't find"

In addition to location, the question of price often comes up. For Julien Haccoun, if his search doesn't work out, it's because of the rents listed. “I want to put 70 € per month, except that prices are rarely below 100 €. I think that some people are abusing it a little seeing that parking spaces are a rare commodity. But putting 150 € per month for a parking rental is a bit excessive", Julien Haccoun fumes. Same story from Amane* and her husband who have been looking for a garage to park the vehicle of the latter, an electrician, for four years. “Below 100 €, you can't find one. We have clearly lost hope", says the Sète resident.

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The prices actually range from single to double, "depending on the surface area and location", specifies Stéphane Rancelant. For an outdoor parking space, they range between 60 and 100 € and for closed and secure garages, you have to count around 120 €. "“It's really heated up in the last five years, in line with the overall price increase,” says the real estate consultant. And to add: “Today, owning garages is a safe bet and a good investment”.