Housing in Limerick

NotAmerican

Hey I'm looking to find a place to live in by myself or with my best friend while in college. I don't want to live in a house with other people, would just like to rent an apartment and do 50/50 on the price with my best friend. I'm looking for pretty cheap €70-€90 euro per week and not more than a 20 minute walk from UL... any suggestions about areas of Limerick I could look into? And would landlords still make us pay rent during holidays if we don't live in the apartment during lets say Christmas and summer?

Beargrylls01

Very unlikely that you will find a 2 bedroom apartment anywhere. It is possible to get a 3 bedroom.

You do have to pay rent during the holidays, definitely, ie Christmas holidays.

NotAmerican

Why is it so unlikely to find a two bedroom one? I'm guessing a three bedroom would be over €100 per week though right?

Chimaera

A good starting point is to contact Campus Life Services and ask them for the accomodation list. They maintain a list of landlords and properties for rent in the area and IIRC they have it broken by housing type.

I wouldn't say it's impossible to find what you're looking for, but you'll have to do the legwork on this. If you don't get anywhere with Campus Life, then you could go around the letting agents. After that it's onto Daft, etc.

If you knew some other people who'll be coming here as well, you could look at a house share. It'd probably be cheaper than an apartment and good fun if you get on with the housemates.

And yes, you pay rent over the holidays. Think about it: the landlord isn't going to be able to rent out the property during that time so it'd be lost revenue otherwise. TBH, if you settle in well and get involved in clubs and societies, you'll probably find plenty going on during the breaks.

MarkR

I would think that you'd have to continue paying through the Christmas break. It's not like they are going to be able to rent it out to anyone else while you're gone. Over the summer, if you plan on returning to it, you'd probably need to continue paying the rent. Maybe over the summer you could get someone else to take it over for you?

Have to ask. NotAmerican? Canadian?

NotAmerican

Haha it's not that I won't settle in well but I'd like to spend a few weeks back home during holidays. And not Canadian either xD I have an American accent so most think I'm from America but I'm not xD

NotAmerican

Also, it might be important to note that I'm deferring for a year, so my best friend (not deferring) will be living with a family friend she knows, that is from there, for a year until I get up to Limerick and then she's gonna move in with me.

The Bogman

There are 2 bed apartments in Brookfield if I'm not mistaken.

NotAmerican

Isn't Brookfield UL accommodation though? Where you have to pay like €3000 a year? But can I live with my best friend though? Or is it whoever I'm put in with, because if that's the case I'm not risking it...

Chimaera

Brookfield is privately owned student accomodation. It's a bit cheaper than UL's accomodation IIRC. Any of the managed places will accomodate requests for people to live together - it makes their life easier a lot of the time since the apartment is guaranteed full.

Really, you'll need to go out there and do the research yourself and decide what best suits your needs. Since you're deferring for a year, you've got lots of time and options. I'd suggest visiting your friend once she's settled in and made friends here - visiting around people's houses will give you a practical feel for the options you have. Also if she's here for a year before you, she'll probably have made friends that could make a house share viable, rather than a more expensive apartment.

Keep your mind open on the possibilities

NotAmerican

Chimaera wrote: »

Brookfield is privately owned student accomodation. It's a bit cheaper than UL's accomodation IIRC. Any of the managed places will accomodate requests for people to live together - it makes their life easier a lot of the time since the apartment is guaranteed full.

Really, you'll need to go out there and do the research yourself and decide what best suits your needs. Since you're deferring for a year, you've got lots of time and options. I'd suggest visiting your friend once she's settled in and made friends here - visiting around people's houses will give you a practical feel for the options you have. Also if she's here for a year before you, she'll probably have made friends that could make a house share viable, rather than a more expensive apartment.

Keep your mind open on the possibilities

Yeah, I'll do that, but like I said, I want to live with her, and she with me and no one else. But if Brookfield has two bedroom apartments then we're sorted By the way, if lets say we get an apartment or even small house to share between my friend and which has nothing to do with UL accommodation, but a completely separate landlord and all, which areas of Limerick should I look into? I heard Castletroy is a nice place, is that true? Any other suggestions?

NotAmerican

Also, if I do choose Brookfield or a place from Campus Life Services, will I be able to have friends and family over, to stay the night and all or not? That's pretty important to me also...

Chimaera

The only places you can book from Campus Life Services are for on-campus accommodation. The accommodation list I referred to is a service they provide for landlords and students. All you'll get there is a list of addresses and contact details.

Having people over is down to the landlord - most won't care once it's not happening all the time and the place isn't trashed.

Right now, YOU HAVE TO GO DO SOME LEGWORK.

garv123

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?s%5Bcc_id%5D=ct5&s%5Ba_id%5D%5B%5D=3707&s%5Broute_id%5D=&s%5Ba_id_transport%5D=0&s%5Bstreet_name%5D=&s%5Btxt%5D=&s%5Bmnp%5D=&s%5Bmxp%5D=&s%5Bmnb%5D=2&s%5Bmxb%5D=2&s%5Bmnbt%5D=&s%5Bmxbt%5D=&s%5Bpt_id%5D=&s%5Bmove_in_date%5D=0&s%5Bmin_lease%5D=&s%5Bmax_lease%5D=&s%5Bfurn%5D=0&s%5Bnpt_id%5D=&s%5Bdays_old%5D=&s%5Bsingle_beds%5D=&s%5Bdouble_beds%5D=&s%5Btwin_beds%5D=&s%5Bagreed%5D=&more=&tab=&search=1&s%5Bsearch_type%5D=rental&s%5Btransport%5D=&s%5Badvanced%5D=&s%5Bprice_per_room%5D=

Just remember, with 2 people living together everything is more expensive.. a lot more expensive

Heat
Electricity
TV/Internet
Bins
Tv licence

NotAmerican

She's been my best friend for the past 10 years so I don't think so... she's never fitted in and that's why she insisted on living with me. I don't mind if I live with her or alone but I don't want to live with other people. How come people living together is more expensive? I mean the rent, heat, electricity etc can be split in half, right? I mean that's why I think it's a good idea to live with her... am I wrong in saying that?

garv123

NotAmerican wrote: »

She's been my best friend for the past 10 years so I don't think so... she's never fitted in and that's why she insisted on living with me. I don't mind if I live with her or alone but I don't want to live with other people. How come people living together is more expensive? I mean the rent, heat, electricity etc can be split in half, right? I mean that's why I think it's a good idea to live with her... am I wrong in saying that?

No i mean its more expensive with just 2.. most people in college live with 4-5 other people in houses.

so when you split the stuff just between 2 its costly and all adds up fast.

Tv licences will be 80each
Bins could be €80 each or more
Internet €30 each per month
Electricity €60 each every 2 months if not more.
Heating, min buy of €150 usually, so however long u make that last.


Look into brookfield and you pay a lump sum with your deposit and they take bills and bins and stuff out of that

NotAmerican

We could cut the tv licence out I'd say because we can watch whatever on the net :P Everything else would apply though... but yeah, I just researched Brookfield's two-bedroom apartments and they seem ideal, balcony and all, just how I like it. I also asked a friend that's up in Limerick and he said the apartments are very nice and €66 per week is not bad at all!

Owen_S

NotAmerican wrote: »

She's been my best friend for the past 10 years so I don't think so... she's never fitted in and that's why she insisted on living with me. I don't mind if I live with her or alone but I don't want to live with other people. How come people living together is more expensive? I mean the rent, heat, electricity etc can be split in half, right? I mean that's why I think it's a good idea to live with her... am I wrong in saying that?

Generally people live in houses of 4-8 people, so the bills are divided up a lot more.