[Article] Students urged to start house hunt

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0806/students.html

Students urged to start house hunt

Third level students in Dublin are already being urged to find a place to live for the upcoming academic year as soon as possible.

Leaving Certificate results are not being released until next week.

However, the Union of Students in Ireland say 90% of rentable student properties in the city will be gone by the end of this month.

It is warning that students risk being forced into staying in B&Bs unless they start searching for accommodation soon.

21-year-old Isolde Moylan from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, who is studying at Trinity College, says every year it is a struggle to find accommodation for the college term.

'Last year I looked for eight weeks, couldn't find anything. I even contemplated getting a place with no windows - it was €550 a month,' she said.

Ms Moylan said that many people would pay €500-550 to rent in Dublin city centre, or around €450 for a shared room.

'This year a lot of my friends were rejected from campus accommodation, as was I, so that made it even more difficult, because in fourth year you're kind of banking on getting on campus.'


Students need to be 'on the ball' - USI

She urged students to start looking early. 'Once September hits, everyone gets back from America or wherever they were on holidays and everyone starts looking, it's so hard to find a place.

'And also a lot of places don't take students - they'll only accept professionals so if you find a place now you just take it, and you pay the extra couple of months' rent.'

USI President Shane Kelly said some problematic accommodation remains around the city. 'We hear from students who are trying to rent in places where they have an outside toilet or a toilet shared between 15 apartments.'

But he said that while such situations still existed, they were only experienced in a minority of cases.

He said students were already on the look for places for next year, and added that the search would intensify after the Leaving Certificate results are issued.

'So really people need to be on the ball now if they're trying to find a decent accommodation close to where they're thinking of studying,' he said.

Naoise McNally of property website Daft.ie says there is approximately double the amount of rented property on the market compared to last year.

She said that this should make it easier for students to find a property, and added that rents were falling.

'They're not dropping by huge amounts in nominal terms - we're talking about 2% across the board - but it does vary significantly from region to region and from area to area in the city.'

The USI said that while there were more properties on the market, demand for rental housing had also increased.

Slashman X

Got my apartment sorted for Dundalk, now all I need is to get in

King Ludvig

Not going to college in Dublin. Going to WIT. Booked my appartment in waterford, cant wait.

genericgoon

I think due to deteriorating property market conditions that the shortage in apartments will not be as acute this year as usual, as stated in the article. Will still be quite bad I'd say if you leave it till September but relative to previous years pretty good. With a much larger number of empty apartments across the country, there may be bargains to be had.

Also, this does mean it is a buyers market now so make sure to haggle like hell. The uncertainty landlords may have about filling their flats due to reduced demand can be played upon.

The Walsho

I just had a chat with my landlord for next year.

A lovely woman by the name of Mam.

1huge1

Accomodation for UCC is just as bad as the Dublin colleges if not worse, I booked my place last January like and now im hoping to hell I get my course. Like every place around UCC was fully booked out my the end of february as far as I could see, no campus accomodation no nothing.

Complete opposite to UL where every 1st year is gurantted campus accomodation though that place is huge.

Crania

That article has me a bit worried. I always just presumed I'd get on-campus accomodation(hopefully heading to either Trinity or UCD). Does anyone know if most first years get on-campus(I know Trinity Hall is off-campus but you know what I mean) in those two colleges?

I was just looking at that website studentaccomodation.ie, The Grove looks fairly decent with a reasonable price but it looks like there is only one study desk in the twin bedroom, that could prove problematic.

PurpleFistMixer

I've known two people (from wexford and westmeath, so not really commuting distance) who didn't get campus accomodation in UCD (right away, anyway), only found out a couple of days before term started. Fairly terrible. I'd say if you think you've a good case to get accomodation (ie living in Fiji), you'll probably be okay, but make sure you have a backup just in case.

EDIT: Hurray for staying at home! ... Sort of.

Timans

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

I've known two people (from wexford and westmeath, so not really commuting distance) who didn't get campus accomodation in UCD (right away, anyway), only found out a couple of days before term started. Fairly terrible. I'd say if you think you've a good case to get accomodation (ie living in Fiji), you'll probably be okay, but make sure you have a backup just in case.

EDIT: Hurray for staying at home! ... Sort of.

Hmmm, I have no back-up, am not from Fiji and am from Wexford.

Is this a sign that I am fúcked?

PurpleFistMixer

Hopefully not! It might have had something to do with when they applied, or something. I don't know the details... um... expect the best but prepare for the worst, I guess?

Timans

PurpleFistMixer wrote: »

Hopefully not! It might have had something to do with when they applied, or something. I don't know the details... um... expect the best but prepare for the worst, I guess?

Ah it'll be ok..

I'll work something out..

Sounds ominous ^

1huge1

Hmm UCD is my 2nd choice on my cao, im actually a bit worried now if I get it because I've no accomodation in mind for dublin at all, If I end up getting UCD it will be some rush to get a house.

phenomenon

Lazy jounalists churn out the exact same report every year...must be a slow news day. There are still plenty of places available, sure first years don't even know what college they're going to yet!

Advice to students coming to Dublin: don't be afraid to take apartments in suburbs like Blackrock or Killiney. Although it may seem far from the city centre it may be only be a 20min DART journey.

PurpleFistMixer

Also, Blackrock is where all the cool people live.

Unbiased opinion, honest.

Only a 30 minute bus ride from town.

K4t

I'm sure those of you going to Dublin or another city, bringing a bicycle with you and using it instead of paying for public transport would save you quite a bit of money in the long term and let you get nicer accommodation.

I'll definitely be taking my bicycle with me to Dublin. If I get in :pac:

K4t

phenomenon wrote: »

Lazy jounalists churn out the exact same report every year...must be a slow news day. There are still plenty of places available, sure first years don't even know what college they're going to yet!

Advice to students coming to Dublin: don't be afraid to take apartments in suburbs like Blackrock or Killiney. Although it may seem far from the city centre it may be only be a 20min DART journey.

Should that not be DORT :pac:

Davidius

Living at home for the win.

genericgoon

Davidius wrote: »

Living at home for the win.

Not the true college experience. You haven't lived til all you have in your fridge to face the week is a bottle of Kinsey vodka and a half eaten tin of beans.

phenomenon

and a pile of unwashed underwear on your kitchen table cos you never learned how to use the washing machine

1huge1

genericgoon wrote: »

Not the true college experience. You haven't lived til all you have in your fridge to face the week is a bottle of Kinsey vodka and a half eaten tin of beans.

Despite describing it in a weird way I definitely agree, college is all about living away from home (if you can)

phenomenon wrote: »

and a pile of unwashed underwear on your kitchen table cos you never learned how to use the washing machine

My mother is going crazy showing me how to use all these things and showing me how to cook different stuff, headwrecking

genericgoon

phenomenon wrote: »

and a pile of unwashed underwear on your kitchen table cos you never learned how to use the washing machine

Indeed. Although going back to the parents gaffe for the weekend to get your washing done FTW.

Piste

I don't think I could ever live out of home unless it had the kick-ass kitchen I have at home. So I'll only be moving out when I can afford a deadly kitchen :pac:

K4t

Piste wrote: »

I don't think I could ever live out of home unless it had the kick-ass kitchen I have at home. So I'll only be moving out when I can afford a deadly kitchen :pac:

Fat boy.

elementalwater

K4t wrote: »

I'm sure those of you going to Dublin or another city, bringing a bicycle with you and using it instead of paying for public transport would save you quite a bit of money in the long term and let you get nicer accommodation.

I'll definitely be taking my bicycle with me to Dublin. If I get in :pac:

don't hit up the pub after college then.....that'd be a dodge cycle home....

K4t

elementalwater wrote: »

don't hit up the pub after college then.....that'd be a dodge cycle home....

Isn't it anyway? what with dublin buses trying to mow down cyclists for recreation plus the amount of broken beer bottles on the cycle paths :rolleyes:

1huge1

genericgoon wrote: »

Indeed. Although going back to the parents gaffe for the weekend to get your washing done FTW.

No doubt there, my brother did it for the whole of 1st year coming down to Limerick from Dublin on the train every weekend...

Piste wrote: »

I don't think I could ever live out of home unless it had the kick-ass kitchen I have at home. So I'll only be moving out when I can afford a deadly kitchen :pac:

Well that might be true for you but for me I'd probably want to be a better cook in the 1st place, I'm learning a lot of dishes lately, im working my way up.

Piste

Moved from plain toast to beans on toast have we? :pac:

Kat wrote:

Fat boy.

Well what happens if I end up doing culinary arts? You expect me to kick ass in college with a crappy kitchen I can't practice in? You'd wish that much ill upon me?!

1huge1

So you intend on doing culinary arts eh or was that just for the purpose of proving you point...?

Piste

Well after medicine i'll probably have nutrition and dietetics and then after that possibly culinary arts.


So if something goes drastically wrong with my leaving cert and I end up doing culinary arts I want a nice kitchen to swan around!


(ok ok I like baking and cooking too)

Tea-a-Maria

Aiming to go to UCD,but I'm from Clare,so hopefully I'll get on campus acomodation.They prioritise people outside of Dublin,right?

1huge1

Tea-a-Maria wrote: »

Aiming to go to UCD,but I'm from Clare,so hopefully I'll get on campus acomodation.They prioritise people outside of Dublin,right?

No I wouldnt imagine so at all to be honest, more the fact that your a 1st year to be honest, like if I go to UCD id be coming from Limerick, can't imagine either of us getting any special treatment to be honest.

4000th post woo!

Timans

1huge1 wrote: »

No I wouldnt imagine so at all to be honest, more the fact that your a 1st year to be honest, like if I go to UCD id be coming from Limerick, can't imagine either of us getting any special treatment to be honest.

4000th post woo!

I'm pretty sure colleges do prioritise people furthest away. It's not practical for a college in Dublin to give a Dublin person a place on campus over a person from Donegal, as the Dublin person can commute every day where as the person from Donegal cannot.