IRELAND | Accommodation | General information
General (student) housing situation
It is well to remember that accommodation in Ireland can be relatively expensive, especially in Dublin where living costs are some of the highest in the EU. It is important to research the costs and to budget accordingly. In Ireland accommodation prices vary depending on region, location and quality. Costs for self-catering accommodation may vary from €200 to €600 per month, while energy, water, waste tax and television licence will cost extra. Finding accommodation in September when students return to college can be difficult.
Student campus accommodation is quite limited in Ireland, and virtually impossible to obtain during the academic year. It is more readily available in the summer months but it is not cheap. Privately let accommodation is more common and the following resources and information will help you in your search for a house.
It is advisable to organise at least a week of temporary accomodation in Ireland, before you arrive as it may take several days to find a place to stay. For more information on short term accommodation, please visit
Types of accommodation
- Apartments/House Sharing
- Digs: Living with a family providing full board. The rent usually includes food and utility bills.
- Halls of Residence usually organised through International Offices. This type of accommodation is usually on or near campus and is purpose built with communal kitchen and facilities.
Finding accommodation
If you have not arranged your accommodation in advance you will find advertisements for accommodation in local evening newspapers, student notice boards and community notice boards in local supermarkets.
The internet is a very popular tool for advertising rental accommodation. DAFT, the Digital Accommodation Finding Terminal (www.daft.ie), offers an up-to-date website for finding shared accommodation as well as apartments and houses to rent on your own. Letting lists can also be found on web sites, for example:
www.findahome.ie
www.myhome.ie
www.daft.ie
Estate Agents can also be very helpful and you can go to their offices and view the rentals that they have availble. In Ireland, estate agents do not usually charge a fee for organising viewings and negotiating letting terms.
International Officers / Accommodation Officers / Student Unions
If you have a college connection, try contacting any of the above in a local Irish third level college. This is the best solution if you come from a partner college. You can easily contact the Irish college in advance specifying the type of accommodation required and you will receive the information free of charge. These offices have a list of accommodation available.
There are several matters you should consider before you begin your search for accommodation:
- Do you wish to live alone, share with others or live with an Irish family?
- What is your budget?
- Location?
Some key questions
Having found accommodation which matches your needs it is important to consider some of the following questions
- Are the front and back doors fitted with secure locks?
- Is the apartment/house in a student area?
- Will you be living far from where you work?
- Is there public transport in the area?
- Are all the appliances - shower, washing machine - working?
- Does the present furniture come with the apartment/house?
- How does the central heating work?