Is anyone else sick of this?

j80ezgvc3p92xu

Hey

I am a postgrad student looking for a room in Dublin. I don't expect much: a bed and a desk in the room, access to bathroom and kitchen in the house. I have been looking for a few weeks now and just absolutely sick of it. I look at rooms I honestly would not put an animal into and the landlord usually wants 400+ per month. I was viewing some basement in Ranelagh before. It was an impoverished hovel. The guy wanted 500 pm and would not budge. He smugly suggested I find a room-mate to cut the costs. I mean this place was such a sh***ole that a cell in Guantanamo would be a step up.

What is happening? Why are we forced to pay such exuberant rates for awful accommodation? Do these people simply know that if you don't take it, some gullible first year who only cares about puking up his parents wages in Temple Bar will?

Aka Ishur

Jalen Dead Shoestring wrote: »

Hey

I am a postgrad student looking for a room in Dublin. I ......arents wages in Temple Bar will?

Me: then go do the post grad somewhere else.

You: no I need to be in Dublin

Me: so does everyone else

You didn't cover supply demand in all your studies? Until people say screw that I'm gonna live somewhere cheaper rents will rise.

jimmycrackcorm

Why don't you rent a room in the suburbs and cycle in?

johnnyskeleton

What is happening? Why are we forced to pay such exuberant rates for awful accommodation? Do these people simply know that if you don't take it, some gullible first year who only cares about puking up his parents wages in Temple Bar will?

Thats an odd comment. People need a roof over their heads. Try looking further out of town maybe celbridge or lucan

syklops

I was viewing some basement in Ranelagh before. It was an impoverished hovel. The guy wanted 500 pm and would not budge

I bet thats the same place I looked at about 10 years ago. Guys daughter showed me around and said it was "Cosy". It looked like something out of Peig. And it was chilly in September. I bet it was freezing in November.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Thats an odd comment. People need a roof over their heads. Try looking further out of town maybe celbridge or lucan

Whats odd about it?

johnnyskeleton

syklops wrote: »

I bet thats the same place I looked at about 10 years ago. Guys daughter showed me around and said it was "Cosy". It looked like something out of Peig. And it was chilly in September. I bet it was freezing in November.



Whats odd about it?

The assumption that there are masses of gullible first year students who want to go drinking in temple bar and are happy to pay high prices for rent

lau1247

Lack of available housing and location is your problem, Ranelagh is very handy to get into city centre.. So you'd expect it to cost a good bit even if the place is crap..

ninebeanrows

If you think that's bad, look at London, almost twice as bad.

You're going to have to re evaliate things, consider college somewhere else if you can't afford it.

Or check out the more undesirable suburbs, definteky possible to get a good spacious room for 400 north Dublin suburbs, also try north inner city.

justback83

Jalen Dead Shoestring wrote: »

Hey

I am a postgrad student looking for a room in Dublin. I don't expect much: a bed and a desk in the room, access to bathroom and kitchen in the house. I have been looking for a few weeks now and just absolutely sick of it. I look at rooms I honestly would not put an animal into and the landlord usually wants 400+ per month. I was viewing some basement in Ranelagh before. It was an impoverished hovel. The guy wanted 500 pm and would not budge. He smugly suggested I find a room-mate to cut the costs. I mean this place was such a sh***ole that a cell in Guantanamo would be a step up.

What is happening? Why are we forced to pay such exuberant rates for awful accommodation? Do these people simply know that if you don't take it, some gullible first year who only cares about puking up his parents wages in Temple Bar will?

Having the same experience...We're a couple in our 30's looking for somewhere around Ranelagh/Rathmines. The places we've seen have been unbelievably horrible. I can't believe they are getting away with it!! It needs to be regulated!!

BookBook

I no longer know about rooms to rent but I can tell you houses to rent can be similar. Crappy sofa's and beds that are so uncomfortable, unmatched furniture, furniture and curtains that look like they are from the 70's, scabby looking kitchen presses. Landlords who won't allow you to get your own furniture as they have no where to put their pieces of rubbish.

Any decent places to rent seem to be ex owner occupiers or landlords who only own one or two properties.

I doubt you will get much sympathy here though due to the amount of landlords.

ec18

BookBook wrote: »

I no longer know about rooms to rent but I can tell you houses to rent can be similar. Crappy sofa's and beds that are so uncomfortable, unmatched furniture, furniture and curtains that look like they are from the 70's, scabby looking kitchen presses. Landlords who won't allow you to get your own furniture as they have no where to put their pieces of rubbish.

Any decent places to rent seem to be ex owner occupiers or landlords who only own one or two properties.

I doubt you will get much sympathy here though due to the amount of landlords.

and due to the fact that everyone trying to rent is in the same boat. Since i've moved to Dublin my rents increased 200euro for no increase in standard

handlemaster

Dublin 15 has good bus runs into the city and a train line. There used to be a bus to UCD also don't know if this is still running.

zef

handlemaster wrote: »

Dublin 15 has good bus runs into the city and a train line. There used to be a bus to UCD also don't know if this is still running.

Yep it is, 39/39a's terminate in Belfield and are very regular. Every 10 mins approx peak hours.

qdawg86

Jalen Dead Shoestring wrote: »

Hey

I am a postgrad student looking for a room in Dublin. I don't expect much: a bed and a desk in the room, access to bathroom and kitchen in the house. I have been looking for a few weeks now and just absolutely sick of it. I look at rooms I honestly would not put an animal into and the landlord usually wants 400+ per month. I was viewing some basement in Ranelagh before. It was an impoverished hovel. The guy wanted 500 pm and would not budge. He smugly suggested I find a room-mate to cut the costs. I mean this place was such a sh***ole that a cell in Guantanamo would be a step up.

What is happening? Why are we forced to pay such exuberant rates for awful accommodation? Do these people simply know that if you don't take it, some gullible first year who only cares about puking up his parents wages in Temple Bar will?

They see you queuing up for the places in D4/6 and rub their hands with glee

handlemaster

zef wrote: »

Yep it is, 39/39a's terminate in Belfield and are very regular. Every 10 mins approx peak hours.

Thanks zef.. people just need to start thinking outside of the usual areas and they will be surprised with what they find.

http://www.dublinbus.ie/Your-Journey1/Timetables/

Michael D Not Higgins

I don't understand what people expect. Do they think 400+ for sharing a house in Dublin 6 is expensive?

tenifan

So let me get this straight.. you want to live within walking distance of the city centre so you don't have any transport costs, pay no more than €400 per month in rent, and get a reasonable standard of accommodation?

Who doesn't?!

Look, my transport costs are about €400 a month because I don't live in Dublin but I work here. If I lived here, I'd be paying over twice as much for accommodation. Life just isn't fair.

You're doing a post-grad. Do you even need to live in the city, or why do you feel the need to compete with professionals who earn enough money to pay the going rate for rent? When I was studying I did most of my study from home, and when I had to make it to college for a few hours I took the bus (usually 3 days a week from Palmerstown, where I rented from an acquaintance at a more reasonable rate).

Frank Lee Midere

tenifan wrote: »

So let me get this straight.. you want to live within walking distance of the city centre so you don't have any transport costs, pay no more than €400 per month in rent, and get a reasonable standard of accommodation?

Who doesn't?!

Look, my transport costs are about €400 a month because I don't live in Dublin but I work here. If I lived here, I'd be paying over twice as much for accommodation. Life just isn't fair.

You're doing a post-grad. Do you even need to live in the city, or why do you feel the need to compete with professionals who earn enough money to pay the going rate for rent? When I was studying I did most of my study from home, and when I had to make it to college for a few hours I took the bus (usually 3 days a week from Palmerstown, where I rented from an acquaintance at a more reasonable rate).

"Life just isn't fair" is just to accept the present unfairness rather than do anything about it. I wonder where all our unused property went to?

MouseTail

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

I wonder where all our unused property went to?

What unused property? We never had a high vacancy rate in the capital.

gaius c

MouseTail wrote: »

What unused property? We never had a high vacancy rate in the capital.

For the 2011 census, it was about double the vacancy rate during the nineties and we didn't have a panic like this.

tenifan wrote: »

So let me get this straight.. you want to live within walking distance of the city centre so you don't have any transport costs, pay no more than €400 per month in rent, and get a reasonable standard of accommodation?

Who doesn't?!

Look, my transport costs are about €400 a month because I don't live in Dublin but I work here. If I lived here, I'd be paying over twice as much for accommodation. Life just isn't fair.

You're doing a post-grad. Do you even need to live in the city, or why do you feel the need to compete with professionals who earn enough money to pay the going rate for rent? When I was studying I did most of my study from home, and when I had to make it to college for a few hours I took the bus (usually 3 days a week from Palmerstown, where I rented from an acquaintance at a more reasonable rate).

I highlighted the important bit for you. You work and have income coming in to be able to afford both paying accommodation costs and commuting. He doesn't so paying for both accom & commuting costs are likely to cause his problems.

tinz18

tenifan wrote: »

You're doing a post-grad. Do you even need to live in the city, or why do you feel the need to compete with professionals who earn enough money to pay the going rate for rent? When I was studying I did most of my study from home, and when I had to make it to college for a few hours I took the bus (usually 3 days a week from Palmerstown, where I rented from an acquaintance at a more reasonable rate).

While this might be suitable for someone doing a postgrad where research is literature based, for postgrads that do labwork/are in science it would be a pretty hard slog and missing days is not an option. Some days its a case of going in at 8am and leaving at 10pm six to seven days a week. Also, to those asking why don't they do a postgrad out of Dublin- depending on area of research/grants and experts, the postgrads may only be available in Dublin- it does have the majority of universities.

tenifan

gaius c wrote: »

I highlighted the important bit for you. You work and have income coming in to be able to afford both paying accommodation costs and commuting. He doesn't so paying for both accom & commuting costs are likely to cause his problems.

Yup. No work = no money. No money limits choices. I did the student thing before, including saving hard for a year to do a course. Currently, I can afford to run a car. When I just started my current job I relied on a lift and working around some one else's schedule.

If the op's post-grad has potential for higher earnings, then it would make sense to take out some sort of loan for the luxury of a low commute time/prime location. Pay€800 a month, or an extra €300 over the slum rate, is about €3500 extra for the year.
Personally, I don't like taking out loans when I can avoid it due to the uncertainty they bring, so I'd take the hard slog now.

tinz18 wrote: »

While this might be suitable for someone doing a postgrad where research is literature based, for postgrads that do labwork/are in science it would be a pretty hard slog and missing days is not an option. Some days its a case of going in at 8am and leaving at 10pm six to seven days a week.

Yes, my course was a business course. Throughout study money was always an issue for me as I didn't qualify for grants (after Leaving Cert), and later had to save my own money to fund further study. So no city centre penthouse for me either.

I still stand by my point, unless you're willing to take out a loan you just need to make sacrifices and compromises.

TheBandicoot

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Why don't you rent a room in the suburbs and cycle in?

Can I ask what people consider a reasonable amount of time to spend cycling? From my current home(my parent's house in West Dublin) Google says it would be just over an hour cycling, which I cannot imagine doing every morning and evening, when I am most wrecked.

Having said that, it took 1h45m door-to-door on the bus home last night(took a 39 instead of a 39a). Usually it is more like 1hr10m ish.

EDIT: also, it's not like prices are actually any cheaper in the suburbs any more. Had a quick look, the majority of rooms to let in the D15 area(south of the N3) are over t€400 for example. Not all, but more of them than not.

EDIT2: On the bus home last night I passed a viewing of this place, the entire house looked jammed with people and they were spilling out/queuing all the way out the driveway.

EDIT3: I'm not convinced on Google's cycle directions at all tbh, it recommends stuff like cycling the wrong way down Tara St and Pearse St- how am I meant to do that safely? A less suicidal route is 1h15.

Eldarion

No. I'm not sick of this. €400 per month is pittance to spend on accommodation in a European capital, you're deluding yourself if you think otherwise.

Cut your cloth or do what the Americans do and get a student loan to pay for your college years.

Michael D Not Higgins

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Can I ask what people consider a reasonable amount of time to spend cycling? From my current home(my parent's house in West Dublin) Google says it would be just over an hour cycling, which I cannot imagine doing every morning and evening, when I am most wrecked.

Having said that, it took 1h45m door-to-door on the bus home last night(took a 39 instead of a 39a).

I'd say 30-40 mins each way. I walk to work and it's 20-25 mins which is a breeze, cycling for 10 minutes more than that should be easy.

TheBandicoot

Eldarion wrote: »

No. I'm not sick of this. €400 per month is pittance to spend on accommodation in a European capital, you're deluding yourself if you think otherwise.

How does Dublin compare to other European capitals in terms of quality of life/infrastructure etc?

desertcircus

With a basic secondhand road bike, ten kilometres should be doable in half an hour, which won't get you particularly sweaty. That's a pretty generous radius to work with given an initial outlay of 200-300 euro and maybe a tenner a month in running costs. Looking for a nice room for 400 a month in one of the most expensive parts of the entire country is a fool's errand; you simply won't find one. Look further out and get yourself a bike and you'll have much more by way of options.

tenifan

TheBandicoot wrote: »

How does Dublin compare to other European capitals in terms of quality of life/infrastructure etc?

Fairly well I'd imagine.

The op was complaining about having to pay high rent in an area where he would not use public transport (and right beside the luas and bus routes) so it's hard to see the point you're making about infrastructure.

For quality of life, well I never liked Dublin but I know a lot of people who love living there. There are a lot of high paying jobs in the city centre so I reckon quality of life for a lot of people is just fine. Even the junkies enjoy sunning themselves in the city centre.

Michael D Not Higgins

TheBandicoot wrote: »

How does Dublin compare to other European capitals in terms of quality of life/infrastructure etc?

Better in some, worse in others, and it all depends on where you're comparing it with. Looking at Madrid:
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Ireland&country2=Spain&city1=Dublin&city2=Madrid
The rent is 20-30% cheaper, but they are paid 40% less.

In London:
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Ireland&city1=Dublin&country2=United+Kingdom&city2=London
You get paid 15% more, but rent can be double.

Eldarion

TheBandicoot wrote: »

How does Dublin compare to other European capitals in terms of quality of life/infrastructure etc?

European report here from 2013 to peruse at your leisure. Dublin comes in about middle of the road for most metrics.

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/urban/survey2013_en.pdf

Some highlights for the lazy.


Public Transport: http://i.imgur.com/o1rk1FQ.png
Health Care services: http://i.imgur.com/pAaVKEF.png
Sports facilities: http://i.imgur.com/fdmdWYK.png
Culture: http://i.imgur.com/qpQodzT.png
Schools: http://i.imgur.com/yzPpI3R.png

Cleanliness of air: Ranked #1: http://i.imgur.com/GFnQEAw.png

desertcircus

The upshot of those numbers is that if you don't have kids, you should move to Vienna.

TheBandicoot

Yeah, to be honest, as a young software developer with a few years experience and no debt or dependents, it sometimes feels to me as if I could move almost anywhere in the world, get a new job, and have a better quality of life than I get in Dublin living in my parent's box room. Probably a case of 'grass is always greener' though.

Michael D Not Higgins

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Yeah, to be honest, as a young software developer with a few years experience and no debt or dependents, it sometimes feels to me as if I could move almost anywhere in the world, get a new job, and have a better quality of life than I get in Dublin living in my parent's box room. Probably a case of 'grass is always greener' though.

You should look into it at least. There's a lot to be said for living abroad and now's the time to do it when life isn't tying you to commitments at home. Careerwise, in many sectors you can gain experience elsewhere you can't get in Dublin. And culturally, you get a completely different feel for a place when you live there rather than just visiting on a holiday (think tourists in Temple Bar).

gaius c

Eldarion wrote: »

No. I'm not sick of this. €400 per month is pittance to spend on accommodation in a European capital, you're deluding yourself if you think otherwise.

Cut your cloth or do what the Americans do and get a student loan to pay for your college years.

Dublin is something like the 53rd or 54th biggest city in Europe. It's the 3rd smallest capital. This constant comparing of a medium sized city to European powerhouses is getting fairly tedious at this stage.

tenifan

gaius c wrote: »

Dublin is something like the 53rd or 54th biggest city in Europe. It's the 3rd smallest capital. This constant comparing of a medium sized city to European powerhouses is getting fairly tedious at this stage.

Are you obsessed with population or area? And why exactly?

Dublin is a capital city, has a decent financial service sector, several large colleges and universities, concentrated population, airport, and so things like living standards, rent costs, salary etc, can easily be compared. I commute to Dublin, but if I lost my job I'd consider Dublin along with other cities, tedious as that may sound to you.

boardyet?

Renting is an absolute disgrace at the moment. Not just in Dublin, in border towns like Kildare too. It's a nightmare trying to find somewhere and the agents are so smug about it - Seems like we never learn from our mistakes.
I love this country, but there really is nothing here for young people anymore. It's really hard to get even something basic or to get on your feet.
We eventually found something in Kildare but are paying alot more for it then what it's worth.
Very frustrating to see a bubble again and no-one in government wants to address the issue.

j80ezgvc3p92xu

No. I'm not sick of this. €400 per month is pittance to spend on accommodation in a European capital, you're deluding yourself if you think otherwise.

Cut your cloth or do what the Americans do and get a student loan to pay for your college years.

Ok I will address this first. I have lived in Vienna for a year as part of my student exchange. I paid 340 per month for an en suite room in the city center, and this included all the bills. I know people who laughed at me because they paid circa 290 for same sort of accommodation. For anyone with a knowledge of Vienna, I could spit out of my window and hit the Rathous. I went down to Stefansdohm to stretch my legs. All this for 340 pm.

I am sort of under pressure to find accommodation soon as I am getting subtle signals from my parents to move out. I can understand that. When I am king of my own castle, I might not want a 22 year old hanging out around the house either.

So I am simply going to have to settle for some exuberantly priced hovel as that is simply all that is out there at the moment. I already have a student loan out but considering getting a top up. Capitalism baby (:

gaius c

tenifan wrote: »

Are you obsessed with population or area? And why exactly?

Dublin is a capital city, has a decent financial service sector, several large colleges and universities, concentrated population, airport, and so things like living standards, rent costs, salary etc, can easily be compared. I commute to Dublin, but if I lost my job I'd consider Dublin along with other cities, tedious as that may sound to you.

Anyone who has lived abroad for any period of time will know that there is something very very badly wrong with our out of kilter accommodation costs. Even living in a hovel will cost you eye-watering money. That's not the way it works in cities in anyway comparable to Dublin but the bulls constantly say "London" or "Paris" or "Munich" as if living costs European powerhouse cities should have any relation to a prosperous but relatively middling city on the outskirts of Europe.

Between our high cost base and moves to kill our tax system, we are going to lose our MNC golden goose and where will we be then...

Tarzana

handlemaster wrote: »

Dublin 15 has good bus runs into the city and a train line. There used to be a bus to UCD also don't know if this is still running.

Yeah, I live in east Dublin 15 (almost Dublin 7, so not far out of the city). There value to be found here, OP, plus good transport links, as already mentioned.

Michael D Not Higgins

gaius c wrote: »

Anyone who has lived abroad for any period of time will know that there is something very very badly wrong with our out of kilter accommodation costs. Even living in a hovel will cost you eye-watering money. That's not the way it works in cities in anyway comparable to Dublin but the bulls constantly say "London" or "Paris" or "Munich" as if living costs European powerhouse cities should have any relation to a prosperous but relatively middling city on the outskirts of Europe.

Between our high cost base and moves to kill our tax system, we are going to lose our MNC golden goose and where will we be then...

Here's a good comparison. European capital, roughly the same size, roughly the same cost of living.
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Ireland&city1=Dublin&country2=Finland&city2=Helsinki

anncoates

People won't countenance living anywhere but the same small handful of central areas in Dublin and wonder why this allows landlords to get big prices for mediocre properties.

Tarzana

anncoates wrote: »

People won't countenance living anywhere but the same small handful of central areas in Dublin and wonder why this allows landlords to get big prices for mediocre properties.

+1

My BF and I are paying €1050 per month between us for a really lovely place in Ashtown. We'd each spend €95 a month travelling to work. We'd love to be walking distance from work at some stage and could afford to pay the €1050 + €95 + 95 to do that. But the fact is that €1240 is not guaranteed to get us anything nice in the hugely oversubscribed areas we'd need to look in. We would much rather live in a nice place farther out than a hovel that's walking distance away.

ffactj

My friend was giving out the other day that he cant find an apartment. His last one that he looked at he didnt like it. It was tatty inside, and smelled. So then he said there was another one down the road for €100 and he wasnt even going to look at it because it should be €900. I looked at the pictures of both and they do look exactly the same shape and size, in the same complex, but one is clearly worth more than the other, just from the pictures.
Both have been rented now anyway, so obviously both prices were right.

I think one of the mistakes people are making is assuming that of the same type property are worth the same, and then they dont even bother even looking in the door of the other one.

For example a 1 bed bed property in a certain area is going for €900PM and then they 200 meters down the road that is €1000PM and immediately think the landlord is ripping them off so dont even look at it.

The one for 900 may have worse furniture.
It may have older appliances.
It could have an entrance on a dark side lane where the other one has a nicely lit up at night entrance, which is safer.
Maybe one just smells nicer than the other.
Maybe the landlord has decided that he gives a service a cut above all of the rest of them so is charging a few quid extra for that.

Just because a property is of the same type in the same area doesnt mean it should be the same rent as the next one.

If you see one at a certain price, make sure to not eliminate ones that are more expensive from your search either.

Not all 2010 Toyota Corollas are worth the same today.

UCDVet

It's supply and demand, simple as that.

You're sick of it. *Everyone* is sick of it. The thing is, everyone wants a decent place to live. Everyone wants a short commute. Nearly everyone has a reason to 'need' to live where they want to (in this case, Dublin). So, prices keep going up.

If you want to lower prices, you need to reduce supply or increase demand.

UCDVet

anncoates wrote: »

People won't countenance living anywhere but the same small handful of central areas in Dublin and wonder why this allows landlords to get big prices for mediocre properties.

I'm not sure if it's the people or infrastructure that is to blame. Maybe it's just me, but there never seems to be any good way to get from where I am, to where I need to go.

I look at the transit system in Paris (for example) and I'm blown away at the number of options they have. They can get all over the place, quickly. Here, it feels like we have a few lines that all go into city centre.

Tarzana

UCDVet wrote: »

If you want to lower prices, you need to reduce supply or increase demand.

Surely you mean "increase supply or reduce demand"?

CatFromHue

anncoates wrote: »

People won't countenance living anywhere but the same small handful of central areas in Dublin and wonder why this allows landlords to get big prices for mediocre properties.

I'm not sure that's fully true as if you go look on daft that cheapest properties in North, South, and West County Dublin aren't exactly cheap, even if they are in out of the way locations.

There probably is a knock on effect of rent increases in desirable locations meaning increases across the board.

Yogosan

UCDVet wrote: »

It's supply and demand, simple as that.

You're sick of it. *Everyone* is sick of it. The thing is, everyone wants a decent place to live. Everyone wants a short commute. Nearly everyone has a reason to 'need' to live where they want to (in this case, Dublin). So, prices keep going up.

If you want to lower prices, you need to reduce supply or increase demand.

I'm guessing you got the bold part mixed up, or else you don't undestand supply and demand, simple as that.

Long Gone

justback83 wrote: »

Having the same experience...We're a couple in our 30's looking for somewhere around Ranelagh/Rathmines. The places we've seen have been unbelievably horrible. I can't believe they are getting away with it!! It needs to be regulated!!

It's private rented accommodation you were looking at presumably ? It is regulated - By supply and demand. That's the way capitalism works.

ubs69

How about a culchie cull to sort it out

ezra_pound

gaius c wrote: »

For the 2011 census, it was about double the vacancy rate during the nineties and we didn't have a panic like this.


I highlighted the important bit for you. You work and have income coming in to be able to afford both paying accommodation costs and commuting. He doesn't so paying for both accom & commuting costs are likely to cause his problems.

That's why man invented the bicycle.