The rents are more expensive than ever. From 2019the supply has fallen by 41%demand has risen 260% and the prices a 28%. This is on average, so these numbers increase in the most stressed areas such as provincial capitals. In Madrid, the reduction in supply has been 59% in this period and in Barcelona of a 65%. And things have no signs of improving. If we go to the last month of May, the increase in rental prices compared to the previous month was 1.8%. This continuous rise in prices has led many citizens lower your expectations rent a home to do it simply with a roomWith everything it implies.
In this panorama full of difficulties in accessing rental housing, an initiative has emerged that can be of great help to rental seekers. Reviu is a new portal that was launched last May and in which users can publish reviews about the apartments they have rented and their experiences with the real estate agency or the landlord.
The website is an initiative of Barcelona Urban Research Institute (IDRA) with which they claim they intend to help “to make informed decisions and distinguish those who do things well” in the current rental jungle. They start from the fact that when a citizen rents a property he has very little information beyond what is included in the advertisement and what is provided by the landlord. Reviu seeks to alleviate this situation by allowing them to inform themselves of what it is like to live in that house thanks to other people’s experiences.
Reviu ensures anonymity both those who give their opinions and the landlords, in the case of individuals. The platform does not accept comments “that contain inappropriate, harassing, discriminatory or hate language.” Each opinion is accompanied by a form in which the person providing the information must provide information on aspects such as assessment (noise, condition and maintenance, temperature in winter and summer, services), management (real estate, treatment received, return of deposit, response to problems), the neighborhood community (relationship, status and maintenance, cleanliness) and the area of the property (tourists, security, noise and cleanliness). Data that allows you to get a more precise idea of what it will be like to live there than a simple advertisement on a real estate portal.
Its operation is like that of any other opinion portal about services or products. Information can be searched entering the address of the property or the name of the real estate agency.
Reviu operates only in Barcelona, but in its frequently asked questions it assures that it is only “for now.” In addition to expand to other cities and provincesthe platform ensures that it will also allow involve landlords and real estate agencies later.