Accommodation for Newbies

looksee

Getting accommodation is the main problem, but once you have got it, before you move all your stuff in TAKE A LOAD OF PHOTOS of the flat/whatever. You should be asked to sign for the condition of the flat, read it through, make whatever notes you need to on it before you sign it. If there is any damage, make sure ti is mentioned and take a photo - with a date on it if you can. If you are not asked, make your own list and ask the landlord to sign it.

It will be too late next June when you are trying to get your deposit back and the landlord is doing creative accounting about how much it will cost him to clean the cooker, fix the shower. If you leave the place like a kip, fair enough you lose your deposit, but if you are careful you don't want to be blamed for grubby walls or whatever he is trying to hang on you. They are not all chancers (and not all students are perfect tenants) but don't wait to find out.

Oh and check out how broadband/television is paid for, is the tv licence covered (it sometimes is in blocks of flats), is heat included, how you pay for electric, its better to know than get a nasty surprise.

Ruu_Old

Split your post into its own thread there, looksee. Feel free to add some more chums as this would be a good starting point, thanks.

looksee

Thanks Ruu, I intended it to be a new thread but got distracted somewhere along the way.

If you are just starting to look for a place to stay, don't worry! There are loads of very good websites out there.

www.daft.ie
www.let.ie
www.myhometelet.ie

are three of the bigger websites - most landlords and agencies will know and use these sites so a good percentage of properties will be listed on them.

Some of these sites also allow you to create email alerts, so you get sent the details of any property that matches your search criteria.

Have your CV and any references (personal / professional / academic etc) ready, and bring them along to any viewings.

Quite a few agnencies will not let to students - however there are some that do and there are many landlords who do as well, the main thing is to keep trying.

Once you have a place, make sure you get your deposit down ASAP but not before you sign the lease! Also beware that many places will only offer a 12 month lease and you will be expected to pay the whole 12 months, not just for term time.

If possible, try and get an inventory of what is included (ie furniture, appliances etc) included in the lease as this can save hassle when you get to the end of your term.

If it's your first year of college and wish to live on campus near the college, you should get on to the college of choice immediately. These often go extremely quickly so speed is of the essence.

Some other information:

Get a rent book. They're often available cheaply in stationary shops, although a few years ago USI gave out on for free, so keep an eye on your local SU to see if they will be stocking them again.

Check your rights and obligations as a tenant. Check what rights your landlord has.

More information is available here.

Check out Threshold's (PDF) guide to renting.

Information on a lease.

Sites recommended by the TCD SU education officer:

www.daft.ie
www.studentlettings.ie
www.myhometolet.ie
www.collegecribs.ie
www.gumtree.ie

Lucas10101

STUDENT LOANS AS A METHOD TO HELP ACCOMMODATION FINANCE.

Some people may not have the immediate finance for college and some find the financial part of this quite difficult, but there are solutions. Take for instance rent? If you couldn't even afford €100 a week, which is €4000 for the academic year, ( Because of non-generous grants etc and maybe no job ) you would also have to pay for food and other necessities on top, this €4000 will quickly rise.

Maybe people should consider a Student Loan. This would work if you paid all the rent of the year in 1 installment ( Not every form of accommodation does this ), say €4000. Now when you get grants etc and your money starts to rise, you can pay off in small weekly amounts of €40 rather than €100 a week.

This means you have €60 extra to use per week. You will get a grant top-up twice more throughout the year which eases the financial situation that bit more. When June comes, your loan should significantly decrease, but there will be a sizable amount left over. You can use your existing money saved from the grants to pay off a large amount.

Then get a job for the summer and pay off the last little remaining part. This way, you can pay for food/accommodation/clothing/socializing while paying off this loan in a sizable way. But like I said, this would work well for 1 Installment Accommodation ( Of which there is plenty ). A lot of people seem to disregard loans but due to the low rate of Interest, and the special rates, it can make life financially much more secure and safer for you. So if people are having trouble financially, this could be a solution you haven't thought of.
================================

If you had a loan of €4,300 and paid back €45 weekly, you would have €2,500 at the end of June. On the max rate of Grant, you will have less than €6,700 at the end. So as you can see, it works out fine.

OleLegend

my cousin stayed in Griffith Halls of residence - she had great time there. she said the place was rocking every night, party central.
she didnt study there but they accept students from other colleges. its a bit pricey though so you may want to shop around but if you are looking for "Like minded individuals"......

wixfjord

A warning to 1st years or anyone contemplating it, do not stay in griffith college. It is terribly run, very restrictive, they rob you for the deposit and it is very expensive. Please heed my advice, I wouldnt go back again if you paid me, no matter what others or the brochure tell you dont take accom there.

navin.r.johnson

wixfjord wrote: »

A warning to 1st years or anyone contemplating it, do not stay in griffith college. It is terribly run, very restrictive, they rob you for the deposit and it is very expensive. Please heed my advice, I wouldnt go back again if you paid me, no matter what others or the brochure tell you dont take accom there.

I have to disagree with you there. Nobody can get 'robbed' of their deposit, you can only forfiet it by breaking the lease. Institute or college run accommodation have leases filled with jargon and legal speak but read it first before signing, understand it, abide by the rules and your deposit is safe. If you think you've been screwed get legal council and screw them, if you dont do that then you must have something to be worried about.

navin.r.johnson

I've never heard of the place but I don't doubt there are residences that operate revenue over rights. If a cleaning crew had to be hired, by the amount lost it sounds like 5 cleaning crews were hired, demand receipts from the landlord/agent for the service, they'll have to back it up.
I've heard of people having service charges deducted from deposits but again it all boils down to the lease. Review the terms, find out what charges can incur on leaving, if you are in the clear you can pursue them for it. In most cases of withheld deposits, the tenants hold all the cards, provided the lease hasnt been broken.

looksee

That is perfectly true about Arcadia Hall. Last year three girls were sharing a flat, one mature student, two 2nd years, all reasonable people. I saw the flat when they moved out and it was a bit grubby, walls and carpets, but no worse than when they moved in. It was left cleared and tidy. They were stopped €300 on their deposit, supposedly for 'deep cleaning'. This was apparently to clean the cooker and 'clean under the presses' (in a fitted kitchen??). I queried this shortfall on the deposit and was told, oh yes, we have reinspected it and its ok, you will get your money back. But we did not, despite numerous phone calls. The Estate Agents are professionals at 'the person you need to talk to is not here at the moment' 'we will get back to you' 'I will talk to someone else about it'.
Security deposits are for costs for damage or cleaning, but not for the standard maintenance that should go on each year.
All this did not emerge until the tenants had paid the deposit for the next year, so they were caught. THEY DO NOT GIVE BACK DEPOSITS UNTIL YOU HAVE PAID FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. So if you do not go back presumably they will find a lot more cleaning than if you go back.
The flat they got this year was dirtier than the previous year (so where did everyone's cleaning money go?) They said they were going to refurbish, but they did not, they are saying the same again this year.
There was no working microwave, and no effective freezer. A serious flooding problem (from outside the flat) in one of the rooms was never resolved.
Now they are suggesting that there will be a refurbished room available for next year, but the students have to put down a deposit based on that promise!
If the full deposit is not returned this year I WILL take them to court. They have already broken the terms of the lease with the lack of maintenance over the two years. The students have detailed photographs of the flat.
In the end Arcadia Hall will get the tenants they deserve.

chicken lover

Its the owner of the agency is at fault, I found the Management Company on Solo check. Contact them
Arcadia House Management Company Limited6 Lapps Quay, Cork
I had a look at that refurbished apartment that night
It was belonged to the Caretaker!!!!!!
Who are they trying to fool, God help anyone who thinks that they will see their deposit, the foreign students got nothing back

sexpanther

anyone know anthing about victoria lodge in cork? or wherz good in galway r dublin 4 first yrz?

User30

It seems outrageous to me that you had to apply for DCU campus accomm BEFORE the CAO offers came out. I'm from Donegal & not knowing Dublin, i'd really like to get into campus accommodation. But I think I may be too late applying & it seems to be a lottery for a small no. of places anyway.

Victor

There are limited places. First come, first served.

kayleighmariex

hiyaa really need help finding accommodation...
am 1st year trinity student!!
pleees help
x

dets

i really need help in finding sumwher, goin in2 first year in rcsi n i really wanted to stay in campus style accommodation but rcsi dnt really hav one other than mercer court n i really dnt want to stay there, thinkin abou grifith bu my friend warns me that it jus full of foreigners n dat i wudnt lik it??? any1 no anywher else lik this, i no it's late but fot my course on round2

Hartyk87

Hi all.

Just a quick note about accom ive seen During my years in Cork. First of all one place i would not recomend is Farannlea hall on Denneheys cross the management there are very rude and is a way too over priced. These are one of the few places that charges 600 euro per year for parking. While next door in victoria station and victora mills and victoria lodge provides free parking.

I would also like to say that For cit Students that Abbeyville is very well done with free parking and is a very friendly place for students while across the road parchment square is the same.

Shaneod21

sexpanther wrote: »

anyone know anthing about victoria lodge in cork? or wherz good in galway r dublin 4 first yrz?

It depends where you are going to be in college?

There are a lot of info on all college websites

dragonfly!

on average how much is rent in Dublin?
My friend is paying €125 a week i was looking at a flat in drumcondra and its €125 a week but the person I want to share with says €125 is too much. Thoughts?

crazyy

Anyone know anything about St Angela's College in Sligo?
I'm going to need accomodation there next year hopefully, in sixth year now like, so the year after next..:)

miss5

Hi, i'm going to athlone .i.t., next september, does anyone have any info on
accomadation and i would also value opinions on the college in general, thanks

annie19

dragonfly! wrote: »

on average how much is rent in Dublin?
My friend is paying €125 a week i was looking at a flat in drumcondra and its €125 a week but the person I want to share with says €125 is too much. Thoughts?

125 a week is far to much. i persume this includes all bills? i paid 125/week in drumcondra last yr but thankfully this year i wil be in much better acc and at much less money. it depends what sort of acc ur going for and how many is sharing? and also i have found with my two years in Dublin if u are living with a landlady or landlord rent is higher in many cases.
just to be clear the reason i paid that amount of rent last year was because i had to be right beside my college due to health reasons and left it late to look.

be wise, use ur judgement and u'll be grand!

just realised u posted this a year ago and not a few days ago. opps hope u got on well in ur acc this yr.

RocketFalls

Ah. The very thread I was looking for.

Basically..

I'm looking for somewhere to live for the academic year [hopefully, anyway] and searching through properties online, I'm constantly met by a really annoying phenomenon: a rental will offer a 'house [apartment/tower/box..] to let for X euro a week', but in most cases it's not clarified whether the rent will cover the whole house of just your room. I plan to share with other human beings, so it would be very useful to find out whether rent is paid on a house or a person-per-room basis.

I have a very tight budget; 100 euro a week overall, not just for rent is not a conservative estimate, and I desperately need to find accommodation I can afford as soon as possible.

Any property-minded people [or students with experience] here who can clarify this irritating trend? I've emailed a couple of offers, but it would be nice to know about this in general.

Shaneod21

There are loads of places off campus where you will find rent at a reasonable price. What you need to keep in mind is the fact that houses are priced excluding bills. To be honest 400e a month including your accommodation is going to be tough to live on.

35mmaddict

Hi, I'm a second year, female, student in college here in Dublin, and I found this place at cow's lane, near the left end of temple bar. Is it less safe compared to, let's say somewhere near st stephen's green? Thanks so much!

caty67

annie19 wrote: »

125 a week is far to much. i persume this includes all bills? i paid 125/week in drumcondra last yr but thankfully this year i wil be in much better acc and at much less money. it depends what sort of acc ur going for and how many is sharing? and also i have found with my two years in Dublin if u are living with a landlady or landlord rent is higher in many cases.
just to be clear the reason i paid that amount of rent last year was because i had to be right beside my college due to health reasons and left it late to look.

be wise, use ur judgement and u'll be grand!

just realised u posted this a year ago and not a few days ago. opps hope u got on well in ur acc this yr.

No way would u be able to pay €125 a week that means uwould be pay 500 monthly hang on there has to be something that suits u in dublin cheaper keep looking and hope u get a nice plce soon

Katieeed

Hi, Im going into first year at dbs! Don't know Dublin at all and looking for accommodation with other students! Any advice on areas even would be great and if anyone else is looking! Thanks

leahwechat

OleLegend wrote: »

my cousin stayed in Griffith Halls of residence - she had great time there. she said the place was rocking every night, party central.
she didnt study there but they accept students from other colleges. its a bit pricey though so you may want to shop around but if you are looking for "Like minded individuals"......

The place which is close to the supermarket is the best choise for me ,because it's convenience .:D

mccannalain

The student residences are usually the best places to go for accommodation especially if you're new to the city. Personally I started off in the residences and then moved to private accommodation in 3rd Year once I knew the city and how to deal with private landlords. It's very different dealing with private landlords! Although it tends to be cheaper and there's slightly less rules there is a little bit more to think about in terms of bills, bins, chasing landlords to fix maintenance issues (can be an absolute nightmare!) and budgeting for those things can be tricky. I stayed in Griffith Halls of Residence my first two years and it was very handy with no bills to pay as it was all included. They fixed the maintenance issues pretty quickly and you can get bits like light bulbs and hoover bags free from the office so every little helps when you're scraping money together as a student! Once you get settled by all means go for the private landlords if you think it'd be cheaper.

demello

Does anybody want a room in the student accommodation Broadstone Hall, Dublin. This is suitable for a few Universities including Trinity College and TU Dublin. We wish to cancel the room, but have been told we need to find another student to take the room before we are allowed to cancel. PM me if interested. Thanks.