UCD - off campus accommodation

k88

Hoping to get into UCD next year but student accommodation seems quite expensive and I feel I would have a better time living in a house, personally.
Won't have many (if any at all) friends going to UCD so I'm wondering if everyone usually has their accommodation sorted by Sep/Oct or would I have a high chance of finding someone also looking to rent a room in a shared house?
(I can stay with family for the first few weeks until I find somewhere)

Thanks

omicron

You'd prob have a better time on campus but the fees are exorbitant next year. Your best bet would prob to find some UCD facebook pages (UCDSU Accommodation Support is a good place to start) and watch out for people advertising spare rooms. It's a lot easier get something this way than trying to get a house and fill it. Most rooms are in the €400-€700 range per month. Watch out for 12 month leases, pre pay electricity (very expensive), electric eating instead of gas (also very expensive). Lots of people rent out their sitting rooms as bedrooms which is fine but there may not be heating, it might not come with a bed included, the landlord might not know and you might have to move out occasionally etc. so be careful.

If you can get within 10-15 minutes cycle of UCD or on a good bus route (anywhere on the N11 corridor, preferably not on the 17 route - its slow and unreliable), you'll be doing well. Bear in mind if going for a slightly cheaper room that will require getting a bus vs. a closer room in cycling distance, bus tickets work out around €70/month using them 5 days a week. Best areas to look - Clonskeagh, Milltown, Windy Arbour, Dundrum, Goatstown, Kilmacud, Stillorgan, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Booterstown, Sandymount, Ballsbridge, Donnybrook. (last 4 tend to be very expensive).

k88

omicron wrote: »

You'd prob have a better time on campus but the fees are exorbitant next year. Your best bet would prob to find some UCD facebook pages (UCDSU Accommodation Support is a good place to start) and watch out for people advertising spare rooms. It's a lot easier get something this way than trying to get a house and fill it. Most rooms are in the €400-€700 range per month. Watch out for 12 month leases, pre pay electricity (very expensive), electric eating instead of gas (also very expensive). Lots of people rent out their sitting rooms as bedrooms which is fine but there may not be heating, it might not come with a bed included, the landlord might not know and you might have to move out occasionally etc. so be careful.

If you can get within 10-15 minutes cycle of UCD or on a good bus route (anywhere on the N11 corridor, preferably not on the 17 route - its slow and unreliable), you'll be doing well. Bear in mind if going for a slightly cheaper room that will require getting a bus vs. a closer room in cycling distance, bus tickets work out around €70/month using them 5 days a week. Best areas to look - Clonskeagh, Milltown, Windy Arbour, Dundrum, Goatstown, Kilmacud, Stillorgan, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Booterstown, Sandymount, Ballsbridge, Donnybrook. (last 4 tend to be very expensive).

Thank you very much the reply! Still considering on campus but the fees are just beyond crazy.. Unfortunately won't be able to get any grants to go towards it either so a bit stuck on what to do. Also I'm worried about securing a place somewhere off campus and then not getting into UCD, can't commute from the UCD area as far as DCU :P

omicron

k88 wrote: »

Thank you very much the reply! Still considering on campus but the fees are just beyond crazy.. Unfortunately won't be able to get any grants to go towards it either so a bit stuck on what to do. Also I'm worried about securing a place somewhere off campus and then not getting into UCD, can't commute from the UCD area as far as DCU :P

Your best option is probably wait til results come out so, and then take whatever you can get. Unfortunately at that stage it'll prob be digs or an obscenely expensive room somewhere far away which obviously isn't ideal, but it does get easier find places after first year!

ordinary_girl

k88 wrote: »

Also I'm worried about securing a place somewhere off campus and then not getting into UCD, can't commute from the UCD area as far as DCU :P

If it comes to it you could always get the 11 from Clonskeagh Road

IrishWelshCelt

Jesus just seen the prices of campus for next year, merville is €6500!!! They have the fees for the last two years too, €5500 this year and €4900 the year before. Combined with the SS level security it is an absolute disgrace, UCD really taking the piss.

a fat guy

IrishWelshCelt wrote: »

Jesus just seen the prices of campus for next year, merville is €6500!!! They have the fees for the last two years too, €5500 this year and €4900 the year before. Combined with the SS level security it is an absolute disgrace, UCD really taking the piss.

What exactly does that cover? Nine months, plus pretty much everything you need except food?

It doesn't sound too terrible to me if it's an almost all-inclusive package and very close to the college.

If it's literally just accommodation and not even close to UCD, then yeah, complete rip-off.

I'm not very experienced when it comes to accommodation though, so fair warning!

IrishWelshCelt

a fat guy wrote: »

What exactly does that cover? Nine months, plus pretty much everything you need except food?

It doesn't sound too terrible to me if it's an almost all-inclusive package and very close to the college.

If it's literally just accommodation and not even close to UCD, then yeah, complete rip-off.

I'm not very experienced when it comes to accommodation though, so fair warning!

Yeah thats everything, but theres no ovens there now. When I stayed there 4 years ago it was €4500, so a 2k jump in 4 years is massive.

k88

IrishWelshCelt wrote: »

Jesus just seen the prices of campus for next year, merville is €6500!!! They have the fees for the last two years too, €5500 this year and €4900 the year before. Combined with the SS level security it is an absolute disgrace, UCD really taking the piss.

Yeah it's kinda ridiculous?! I'd much rather find a place/room off campus..It's more homely too Can't really do much until August though, I really have no idea which college I'll end up in!

errlloyd

IrishWelshCelt wrote: »

Yeah thats everything, but theres no ovens there now. When I stayed there 4 years ago it was €4500, so a 2k jump in 4 years is massive.

Merville and Belgrove have been refurbished in that time. Though I agree this is nothing more than a free market rise and a opportunity for them to raise revenue.

gline

Theres a bus that goes from rathmines direct to UCD also (142), cheaper rent around rathmines/ranelagh.

DreamByDay

gline wrote: »

Theres a bus that goes from rathmines direct to UCD also (142), cheaper rent around rathmines/ranelagh.

Agreed I am in the Rathmines/Rathgar area and I love living there, much more homely, food etc. is cheaper than on campus by a mile and overall is save a ton of money.

The 142 bus is also getting to be pretty reliable/regular so no complains there either