One in five students experience unexpected rent increases during college, and 36 percent of students needed between one to three months to find their accomodation.
This is according to a new report released by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
The USI is now urging students who have accepted their CAO offers to start looking for accommodation immediately, in order to beat the rush to secure bed spaces ahead of college.
The figures
The average cost of college is €12,500. Fifty-eight percent of students declared the monthly cost of accommodation of €251-500.
Two percent of respondents pay over a staggering €1000 a month for their accommodation.
The average deposit is €400, with 36 percent of students not getting receipts for their deposits.
The USI say the cost of rent is leaving no money for food, travel or books.
USI President Michael Kerrigan said, “The shortage in student accommodation has forced students, families and professionals to race for accommodation, and compete for somewhere to live. In many instances, this competition has pushed students to take accommodation that exists outside of their price range, or to drop out of college.”
“More than 25,000 students have already accepted their college places yesterday from the CAO. There is still a shortage of accommodation, and students are being crammed into small spaces, with harsh living conditions and horror stories of the state of living.
While most of the accommodation has already been taken up, anyone who has already accepted their place at college should start making arrangements for accommodation right now before term starts to avoid disappointment,” he added.
The union are advising students to go onto websites like Daft.ie and Students’ Union Facebook groups for renting, and to check free websites like homes.usi.ie for digs as useful sources to find accommodation.
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