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STUDENTS ARE AMONG the worst hit by the housing crisis.
The end of the summer now brings the inevitable annual rush for thousands across the country to find somewhere suitable to live.
A couple of years ago those who started their search early could avoid the panic, but demand is now so great, even the most prudent planners can find themselves without accommodation.
Earlier this year the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) described the crisis as a “barrier to accessing education”.
The cost of single bedrooms in some parts of the country has gone up by 25% since last September.
The demand for houses is now at such a level that the USI has set up a service that aims at sourcing families’ spare rooms for students.
The impossible search
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, 20-year-old Jen Quinn, a 3rd year education student from Maynooth, explained that she started searching at the start of the summer, and only in the last two weeks has she secured accommodation in a student compound.
“I started looking in June,” she explained, “and at that stage it was getting close to the time when the first years would be arriving. I was hoping that more would become available when the CAO offers came out. But to be honest not a lot did.”
Even when something did become available, the huge demand for housing meant that landlords can freely turn away students if they have a preference for renting to professionals.
To Quinn this is unfair discrimination.
“I think if students can produce some kind of reference of their character from their previous landlord then I don’t think it’s fair that landlords can just refuse students outright,” she said.
There are houses right beside the campus that would fit five students. If students are willing to take a twelve month contract, and if they can produce a reference which says they pay their rent on time and they are good tenants, then I think it is just completely unfair that they can be refused.
Still searching
While Quinn may have been fortunate enough to find somewhere to live, Gabor Romhanyi has not.
The 20-year-old Donegal native has been studying economics, politics and law at DCU for the past year, and has just over three weeks to find a place before his course starts back.
“This year is going to be one of the most important years of my life because I need to get a 2:1,” Romhanyi explained.
If I can get that then I’ll be able to take a year and study in France with the way my course is.
Romhanyi gets by on the €650 he receives from Susi.
In the most recent Daft.ie rental report, it was found that the average cost of a single room in Dublin city centre is €507. The average cost in north Dublin city is €418.
These figures do not account for the spike in rental costs that is brought on annually by the waves of returning students.
“This year it feels like it’s a lot harder. The prices are certainly increased compared to last year. When I was looking at the prices there last year the average cost was around €400 a month. This year now there is nothing for that much,” he said.
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And our lovely government continues to stick is head in the sand.
Could That girl could not just commute from home in Maynooth to Dublin…. That 35 mins would be pure hell no doubt. There are people doing four hour a day commutes but students want to live next door to college. Some need to live in the real world.
Yet again our idiot gov are found wanting. But how could they have known students would need accommodation? Idiots.
Maybe she could commute, she may have access to public transport. But many students do not have access to a car, and if they live outside a town/city no access to a bus.
When I was in college there was limited on campus places and a waiting list. Yet the amount of people given places that live in a commutable distance. I had thought they have preference to people living far away, but from my time it appears they didn’t once the 1st year places were given out. I lived with a girl who lived 30 minutes by bus away and had a private bus service serving her town specifically for college and leaving in college hours. All of her friends commuted except her and used her place on campus as the place to stay after a night out. But she was given a place when I know of students from mayo, Donegal etc. without a place. I also know of students living 10 minutes drive from college with their parents deciding that needed their own college place and moved to an apartment right beside college. I know landlords don’t really care as long as tenants are good and pay rent but even if when they gave some preference to students who physically cannot commute, it may ease the pressure at this time of year.
Used to commute from Donegal to UCD twice a week … And worked well for me.
Renting to some students is a No no ,lots of them are not house trained
lots of adults not just students! And if they pay rent some seem to think they own the place
Disgusting attitude Margaret Daly! I’m a tenant – a good one, and I have a right to treat the home I pay rent for as my home – I am entitled to peaceable enjoyment of the property. Many landlords think they can tell tenants how to live their lives and yet still expect extortionate rents!
You’re entitled to peaceful accommodation, not to think or behave like you own the place-like Mary said.
you don’t have to take my comments personally. I’m speaking from experience. as I said earlier I have a great person with me now. I live in the house and I have felt like the third wheel with some. I’m talking about renting a room I am also ‘entitled’
its can be true for both students and non-students, i say non-students because tbh i wouldn’t call some of them professionals. theres responsibility required, no careless behaviour, running high electric usage, leaving s*** on and unattended. we lived with one young person who had the washing machine going 4-5 times a week. It may seem bad but my friends only rent out their spare room to people who aren’t from hot countries cos they use less heating. I’d have to say that holds true. They’re just not able for the Irish climate. You just can’t treat a shared place like its all your own. Everyone needs to be sensible if you’re sharing bills and not become a reckless burden. This is one of the most expensive countries right now for most things.
Actually one important factor in who you rent to is determined by your house insurance! I was blissfully unaware when I had students but I stopped after finding out.
@Ben Slimm: Your entitled to jack s..t. It was the same when I went to college years ago. Attitude like that is exactly why no one wants to provide accommodation.
Your in no position to demand anything, and you just hope you find a good landlord. Grow up you self entitled clown.
Is it fair, no, is it reality, yes.
Ah lads, at least get the grammar in the article title correct.
The Journal seriously needs to hire a proof reader at this stage..
I’m still struggling with the guy “Romhanyi gets by on the €650 he recieved from SUSI”. Gets by?? That is more than I lived on per month when I was a student 2 years ago, and it was not from SUSI that I got the money either.
Did you ask yourself why theres a photo of ‘Jen’ but no photo of ‘Romhanyi? The Journal just loves to try to agitate
I’m getting a bit tired of people who clearly went to college years ago sitting up on their high horse talking about students like we’re the dirt on their shoe. College is not the same as it was years ago. A lot of older people seem to have this chip on their shoulder about their own experience of college compared to the experience of students in college at the minute. I know very few people in college who don’t have a part-time job, including myself, I know several with 2 jobs. Recent estimates that students on average live on 100 euro a week are hugely inaccurate, you only have to look at the reaction from actual students to this figure to see how ridiculous it is. Many of us get by on a fraction of that; do you think students living on 1 euro pizzas and pot noodles have 100 euro in their pocket every week? Student grants are means tested, like everything in life there are those who abuse it, but they are absolutely not the majority. You can’t pull out a figure like €650 a week and comment on it when you know absolutely nothing about the persons circumstances. Rent where I go to college in Maynooth averages about €90-100 a week for most houses. You’re immediately down to about 65 euro to live on per week with that 650 figure. That 60 has to go on food, college supplies, bills which are usually not included in rent, travel costs and any other number of expenses people have. God forbid students might also even want to do some things in their spare time that might cost some money too. It’s easy to sit and criticise when you’re not the one living it. Competition among graduates has never been more fierce in this jobs market, it’s not too much to ask for a decent place to live in and a somewhat comfortable standard of living while we get our degree.
I get where you’re coming from Dylan but the perspective from the other side is that some of us are working and maybe have a partner working and are trying to keep a family afloat on not much more than 65 quid a week.
It’s great you have a part-time job, I did too when I was studying and while it negatively impacted my studies it positively impacted my life skills. Quite a few of your generation don’t work at all until they start in their career, usually because over protective parents are worried about the decline their grades may have if they went out to work.
Yes, we were in college years ago and we naively believed that at some magical point in the future our qualifications would mean we could afford a home, a family and a half decent quality of life.
For quite a lot of people of our generation our qualifications have just been passports to Australia, Canada and the UK, or negative equity and crippling childcare costs here.
Our sympathy for students who bemoan a 35 minute commute is limited.
The difference that a lot of people fail to see, yourself included, is that having a job and commuting 35 minutes is not the same as going to college, having a job and commuting 35 minutes. When you get up in the morning you might travel for 35 minutes to do full day in work then spend 35 minutes getting home again to other responsibilities you might have. For many students its a 35 minute travel to do a full day in college, commute to a part-time job after that for about 4-5+ hours then get home from work to study and do assignments on top of other responsibilities you might have.
Your opening line says it all really: people on that amount are only able to keep themselves afloat. It is not a comfortable standard of living by any means, which is exactly why students and non-students alike are complaining about rising rents and rising living costs. I fail to understand the logic of, “other people are in the same boat so put up with it”. Those other people in the same boat are just as equally disadvantaged; students are almost being demonised for asking for a better standard of living.
What this has turned into is a competition for who’s situation is worse, which benefits nobody and in my opinion suits the government down to the ground because it results in a race to the bottom. ‘I have it worse off than you!’ – ‘No I have it worse off than you!’. People are shouted down and called lazy for daring to ask for more. If the state cannot ensure that access to third level education and a decent place to live is an option for everyone then why shouldn’t students complain? That is a bad situation for any country to be in, are we expected to just be okay with it?
i take my earlier comment back. you didnt get out of the wrong side of the bed….
And that’s where we completely agree Dylan, the standard of living for all but the privileged few in this country is a far cry from where it ought to be.
And I’m not okay with it.
Sourcing family spare rooms, will be just another Air B&B fiasco, you’ll only end up reported to the revenue, it’s not worth the hassle
it’s not the revenue that’s an issue. it’s the oh I’m skint can I pay you next month….. had it ‘ too many times with people in ( and I’m not just talking about students!!)
You can earn 12k with no tax implications renting a room to students. Not like Airbnb at all.
OH I wasn’t aware of that, thanks
yup when they pay…
You can rent a room in your house under the rent relief scheme – where you can earn up to €12,000 completely tax free per year. This applies to lettings and not vacation and why is doesn’t work for airB&B.
it’s a great scheme if you get the right person in. I have someone in and I’m very lucky with this person!! but I’ve been unlucky with some!!!!
Jesus Margaret you’re under every comment bleating about your bad experience, we get it! Give it a rest.
someone got outcofvthe wrong side of the bed this morning…
Not at all, it seems like you’re going out of your way to bad mouth (mostly student) tenants at every opportunity.
you really need to review my comments…
There’s that too, rent is gone crazy anyway, it’s climbing and climbing all the time and our typical shit government are happy to allow it.
What’s the next outrage? Homeless schoolchildren who are forced to live with their parents until they can afford a home of their own?
Since when did we expect students to be able to afford their own home?
lack of responsibility and there is always someone else expected to pick up the tab
The Journal really scrapes the barrel for journalists, this is the 5th or 6th time I’ve seen an article where they can’t get simple english right in the heading. Now I know all.about auto correct but there is no excuse for journalists to be releasing incorrect statements, it is their bread and butter after all.
Only ee cummings would write ‘english…auto.correct’.
Students homeless- shameless hyperbole and a slight on homeless people who don’t have their family home to return to or their parents financial support. Student accommodation shortage.
To finally secure accommodation and still not know if you have student grant, absolute limbo. No wonder students drop out, accepting courses in the hope of approval. ridiculous situation.
Ironically, the building in the photo accompanying this article has been recently demolished. :(
for an apartment block that only the elite can afford?
Every year students look for accommodation at this time , student accommodation is another area like social housing that needs building . For the students on campus if necessary , the politicians know this , time to sort this annual problem for students and social housing out and stop the reliance on private landlords out
I know what it is like to be homeless. I went on a holiday to London two years ago. I stayed for just three weeks. I could not afford to buy my own home so I had to pay to stay in a hotel.
Alan Kelly is talking of doing an Exchange Programme between the homeless families living in cars /B&B’s and the students parents ..
Should have been entitled “Students too lazy with an the for 35 minute commute”…bad grammar and all in true The Journal style. When I was in college I was an hour and a half on a bus you would pray would show up (before the days of real time travel info also).
It doesn’t help when many students from, say, Malahide or Bray, want to move to the city and live closer to TCD/UCD/DIT. They should be commuting. Knew and still know plenty of them doing that.
Our government of the people will do nothing to alleviate the housing problem because they are too busy trying to score points against sinn fein. I suppose staying in office is more important than looking after the needs of the most vulnerable in our capitalist society
Another graduate centric story.
It’s not graduate-centric if they’re still students
Most students are perfectly okay. A small number of “party animals” gives them a bad name with their all night drink fuelled music pounding antics. Some think that because they are students everyone should kowtow on the basis that “sure we’re only students” as a flimsy excuse for raucous behaviour and misplaced sense of entitlement. Ninety percent are perfectly okay but the behaviour of a small minority generates a “bad” perception.
The other difficulty is that landlords prefer to rent for twelve months rather than nine. This places students at a huge disadvantage. The government gobbling up 52% of the rent in taxes is a huge disincentive. The rent a room scheme is an incentive for people who can rent in their private residence.
“Romhanyi gets by on the €650 he receives from Susi.”
can I ask why Romhanyi is not working part time or at weekends? I didn’t get a grant when I went to college, my summer holidays were a time to cram in as much work as I could to pay for college. lots of 12 hour days on building sites during the boom. There is plenty of part time work if you are willing to look for it
was plenty of part-time work for students, not so much now, not so much accommodation either. oh i wonder why…
leave them to it, these rulers have it wrecked.
There were lots of jobs everywhere during the boom, hence ‘the boom’. Times have changed in case you didn’t notice.
He works every hour he can possibly get. He teaches English 3-4 times a week, he works with our college setting up events and any other odd job he can get. Why don’t you stop assuming things about my boyfriend and get off your high horse?
He is my boyfriend and he most definitely works part-time. He teaches English 3-5 times a week, he works in college with the events crew and does lots of translation work and any other odd job he can get. We’re not in the Celtic tiger anymore in case you have been living under a rock the past few years. My boyfriend is the most hardworking person I know so stop assuming and get off your high horse.
Gabor is my boyfriend and he most definitely works part time. He teaches English 3-5 times a week, he works with our college in the events crew and does translation work and any other odd job he can get. He is the most hardworking person I know, and €650 a month is not much if you take away the cost of rent which is €400-420 usually. The remaining money goes on bus fare (almost €6 both ways), food, books and materials for college etc. You know absolutely NOTHING about his circumstances and why would you just assume that he doesn’t work? Because he’s a student? He may be a student but he’s the most hardworking person I know and everything he does is in order to make himself as successful as he can be in the future. Get off your high horse. We don’t live in the Celtic Tiger anymore, they’re not handing out jobs like packets of sweets anymore.
Can there not be some shipping containers customized for living standards put on some waste ground, its a temporary solution but it will help a lot of students I think.http://www.thejournal.ie/shipping-container-home-house-project-weekend-1808597-Dec2014/
ANY idea is better than nine. I see in letterkenny a disused hotel being set up for students for 40/week. surely something similar could be done in all major cities
Renting in this country is a mugs game. With the taxes you pay the government it’s not worth it.
.
Everyone needs work reference, landlord reference. How can we give if we are new here. It is like that everbody wants experience one but nobody wants to give job. All want heaven no one wanna die.
Prices are arising due to deficiency of accommodations.
Don’t know that are we coming here to make future or to spoil whole life
Everyone needs work reference, landlord reference. How can we give if we are new here. It is like that everbody wants experience one but nobody wants to give job. All want heaven no one wanna die.
Prices are arising due to deficiency of accommodations.
Don’t know that are we coming here to make future or to spoil whole life
.
have your say