Over 25,000 students are going to be competing for accommodation for all major universities, particularly in the Dublin area.
Student numbers are set to continue rising in the years to come, further escalating the need for more accommodation. The standard rates for student housing in Dublin ranges from €450 to €600 a month.
Due to the lack of accommodation near the universities, students are being forced to live further away, which adds to their transport costs.
Trinity College Welfare Officer, Conor Clancy, is urging students not to panic when looking for accommodation. He also advises that students shouldn't rule out living in student digs:
"It's been getting increasingly difficult with the squeeze in accommodation over the last couple of years, and what we've been doing to respond to that is diversifying the types of accommodation that we're looking into. So over the last few years we've been looking into dig style accommodation. Now it's not the ideal for a lot of the students coming up, who have a sort of idealised version of what college life is like. But it was successful to the extent last year that we were able to get beds for everyone that came in."
He added that: "With accommodation, my advise to students is to prepare beforehand. Don't expect that if you arrive in September, you can just rush in and get a place. We have a lot of demand this year."
For students struggling to find accommodation, there are services available to help. Students are encouraged to contact their Student Union Welfare Officer and the college accommodation service.
Students should also be aware of their tenant rights and responsibilities. Information on this can be found on prtb.ie and citizensinformation.ie
