Direct answer: there are two ways to get electric bikes branded for your residence and operated by Cityflow. Either the residence pays and students use them for free, or students pay €5 a day and it costs the residence nothing. In Barcelona, the second one works best.
In both cases, maintenance, charging, insurance, GPS and student support are handled by Cityflow. Here are the questions residence managers ask before deciding. The short version is on electric bikes for student residences.
How does a bike fleet work in a residence?
The bikes live at the residence. A student picks one up there, uses it to get to class, to the library or wherever they need to go, and returns it there.
Every bike carries your brand. And you can go further: at Canvas by Greystar, each bike has a name of its own (Greta, Yegor, Xisco, Haley, Roma…).
The work is split like this:
- Cityflow: maintenance, charging, insurance, GPS and student support.
- The residence: chooses the payment model, decides where the bikes are parked and introduces them to its students.
Does the residence pay, or the student?
You choose between two models.
Model A: the residence pays. The residence pays Cityflow a fee, on request, and students use the bikes for free. The bike becomes part of what you sell: it appears on your website, on the tour and in the contract.
Model B: the student pays. The student pays €5 on the days they use it and the residence pays nothing. Those who don't need it don't pay, and the residence gets the service without adding a fixed cost. In Barcelona, it's the model that's working best.
| Model A: the residence pays | Model B: the student pays | Buying your own bikes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the student pays | Nothing | €5 on the days they use it | Whatever you decide |
| What the residence pays | A fee, on request | Nothing | The bikes, the locks and the repairs |
| Maintenance and charging | Cityflow | Cityflow | Your team or a workshop |
| Insurance and GPS | Cityflow | Cityflow | You take it out and manage it |
| Student support | Cityflow | Cityflow | Your reception |
| Brand on the bike | Yours | Yours | Yours |
| A good fit if… | You want an amenity included in the price | You want the service at no cost to the residence | You have the team and workshop to maintain them |
Which of the two models suits you?
Choose model A if:
- Your price is “all-inclusive” and you want the bike to add to it.
- You want to show it on the tour as something students already have when they sign.
- You'd rather students didn't think about the price every time they take one.
Choose model B if:
- You don't want to add a fixed cost to the residence.
- Your students have very different routines and not all of them will use it.
- You want to offer mobility now, without waiting for a new budget line.
If you're unsure, tell us about your residence and we'll look at it with your numbers.
How many bikes does a residence need?
It depends on your beds and on how your students get around, not on a table. Tell us how many beds you have and how far the university and the city centre are, and we'll tell you how many to start with. If they fall short, we add more.
How do you tell your students?
A bike only gets used if people know it exists. Three places where it should appear:
- On the website and on the tour, with the bikes in sight and carrying your brand.
- In the contract or the welcome: in model A, as something included; in model B, with the price stated clearly, €5 on the days you use it.
- Day to day: a sign next to the bikes saying where to leave them and who to message if something goes wrong.
How much work does it create for reception?
The operation belongs to Cityflow. Your team doesn't repair, charge or deal with bike issues. If a student has a question or a problem, they message us.
This matters more than it seems. If every bike with a soft tyre or a charger that won't work ends up at the front desk, the amenity becomes a burden for your team. Keeping it away from reception is half the value of the service.
What if a student doesn't end the rental properly?
It's the most important question to ask any provider, because it's what annoys students most: being charged for something they didn't expect.
With Cityflow, the student messages us directly and we sort it out. If they can't end the rental, they send us a photo of the bike parked at the residence and we close it. The residence doesn't have to act as the go-between.
What do students use the bike for?
To get around during the day, not for a leisurely ride. Across our whole accommodation operation (hotels, residences and flex living):
- The median rental lasts 8.3 hours.
- Most returns happen between 7 pm and 9 pm.
- 38.8% of users rent again.
These are figures for the whole network, not just residences. You'll find them, with their methodology, in our operating data.
What should you ask any provider?
Before signing, these five questions separate a service from a bike purchase:
- Who pays: the residence, the student or both?
- Who charges, repairs and insures the bikes?
- Who does the student message if something goes wrong: reception or the provider?
- What happens if a student can't end the rental?
- Does the bike carry the residence's brand or the provider's?
What has Canvas by Greystar done?
Canvas by Greystar, a student residence brand, has Cityflow electric bikes carrying its brand, with a name of its own on each bike. One tip that comes from there: put the bikes where people can see them. A bike with your brand at reception sells itself on every tour. Read the case in Canvas by Greystar.
How do you get started?
- Tell us about your residence: city, number of beds and opening date if it hasn't opened yet.
- Choose model A or B, or ask us to help you choose.
- We suggest how many bikes to start with and, in model A, the fee.
- We put your branded bikes in place. From then on, the operation is ours.
Cityflow operates in 9 Spanish provinces, with a page of its own for each capital: Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao, Pamplona and Salamanca. If your residence is in one of those provinces, talk to sales.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the student pay for the bike?
It depends on the model the residence chooses. If the residence pays, students use it for free. If not, the student pays €5 on the days they use it and the residence pays nothing.
How much does it cost the residence?
In the model where the residence pays, a fee to Cityflow, on request. In the model where the student pays, nothing.
Who maintains and charges the bikes?
Cityflow, in both models: maintenance, charging, insurance, GPS and student support. Your team doesn't repair the bikes or deal with bike issues.
Can the bikes carry my residence's brand?
Yes. Every bike carries your brand and, if you like, a name of its own, as at Canvas by Greystar.
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