Advice for students on how to find accommodation

The move from school to third-level invariably involves massive upheaval – and part and parcel of this for many students is leaving home and living independently.

Everyone is aware that the State remains in the throes of a housing and accommodation shortage; so, just how big a challenge is facing students who will have to move away from home for college and, more importantly, how best to navigate it?

Niall Clarke, lettings manager and company director for property consultant DNG Gillespie Lowe, has worked in lettings for the past 20 years and says he is “all too familiar with the challenge tenants face” finding accommodation to rent.

“This difficulty is even more pronounced for students,” he says. “In most cases, it’s their first time renting and, as they are in education, they are not in full-time employment. This makes it difficult to compete with other renters in securing somewhere to live.

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“In general terms, a landlord wants a stable tenant, renting for the longer term. Students often want a nine-month lease to give them flexibility in the summer months, which again makes them less advantageous as tenants.

“Lastly, all landlords were invariably students at one point, and they understand the challenge of balancing studying, part-time work and a student lifestyle with the challenge of renting a property.”

It’s not all bad news though, as there are steps students can take to show landlords that they can be excellent tenants.

“All property applications are done by email only,” says Clarke. “It’s best to make your inquiry and include some basic information about yourself which might alleviate some of the typical concerns outlined above.

“Listing elements like ‘parent will guarantee rent’, ‘happy to commit to a longer lease’, ‘previous landlord reference available on request’ all help to allay those fears.

“Make sure that you are applying for properties that are on budget and compatible with the property type. For example, we often get four single students looking to rent a two-bedroom apartment.

“The property would invariably have two double beds so cannot accommodate four single people, even with the best references. By investing your time in searching for potentially suitable properties you can concentrate your resources more effectively.”

Michelle O’Hara of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service agrees it is important to be laser-focused on finding a property that will fulfil your needs.

“The first one is what type of accommodation will suit you?” she says. “Are [you] going to rent a property from a private landlord, get a room in a digs style accommodation or stay in student specific accommodation?

“Digs accommodation can have many advantages such as warm house, company, light on when you come and it can be a good transition if moving away for the first time, you can always move to more independent living in your second year.”

Eileen Sheehy, managing director of Sherry FitzGerald Lettings, says the estate agent is already getting “a lot of calls from anxious parents” about students heading off to college.

“I just had a dad on from Canada looking for advice for his daughter,” she says. “Local advice is a good idea before you make a final decision on an area.

“What we always advise people to do is to go to their college’s accommodation officer on campus. They usually have a list of accommodation close to where the colleges are. Daft.ie also has a section specifically for student accommodation, which is quite good.

“It’s important they look for student accommodation rather than trying to apply for large properties where they might be sharing with 10 or 12 people. Those houses aren’t geared towards students.

“Student accommodation is more geared towards their purposes. It might have desks. There could be a centralised area for them to go down to and ask questions. Sometimes there is a porter at the door to help them.”

Cat Clark, campaigns officer with housing charity Threshold, says there are key issues to remember when viewing a property.

“Think of it like an interview, but you are interviewing the landlord and property just as much as they are interviewing you as a potential tenant,” she says. “Be friendly and interested, but make sure to ask questions and check around the property.

“Do the kitchen appliances such as the washing machine and dishwasher work? Are the sinks in the kitchen/bathroom(s) leaking? Is there enough water pressure? Does the water and heating work?

“Is there any sign of faulty wiring or plugs? Is there any sign of dampness or infestation? What furniture and kitchen items are included with the property? Inquire about the fire safety equipment – is it available in the kitchen and is it up to date?

“Take dated photos of the entire property on the day you move in, especially of any areas that have been damaged. This approach should even include photographing small areas, such as the inside of the oven and interior of the fridge/freezer.

“This will protect you from having to pay for any alleged damages that you did not cause during your stay.”

Clarke says a good tip for securing a place to stay is to try to be flexible. “A great example of this is renting a room in a house as opposed to an entire property,” he says.

“Of course, it would be preferable to rent a property with one’s friends, but this is often not realistic, so a room or house share is a credible alternative.

“Lastly, I would encourage student tenants to engage with their own friends, family members and wider social group to see if there are any accommodation solutions. This is often the most successful route and needs to be pursued as the first option, not the last.”

It is also important to be aware of your rights and entitlements. O’Hara points out that only those renting from a landlord whose tenancies are registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) will have access to its disputes resolutions service should things go wrong.

“If you are either renting a room in a house or you are in a digs style accommodation, neither of those are covered by the RTB,” she says.

“If you are renting with others, ensure you are fully aware of what your responsibilities are under the tenancy agreement.

“Matters such as who pays the rent; what if one person leaves before the end of the tenancy; and who is responsible to find another tenant, are all very important to know before you sign any tenancy agreement.”

It is normal practice for landlords to ask you to pay a deposit. The key advice from O’Hara is not to pay the deposit until you have viewed the property and are happy with the tenancy.

“Don’t pay it in cash,” she says. “Always look for a receipt with the details of who the tenant and the landlord is, the amount paid and the date of payment.”

On the financial side of renting, O’Hara says it is key to consider how much rent you can afford each month. “You should take the time to sit down and work out where you are going to get the money to pay for your accommodation,” she says.

“Have you applied for a Susi grant? Or is there any other financial supports that you can apply for? Will you be working part-time? Are you paying for your rent monthly and on what day of the month will it need to be paid?

“If sharing accommodation with others, you should have a chat in advance about how you are going to manage the household bills if they are not included in the rent payment.”

Household bills are likely to include the cost of electricity, heating, TV licence, broadband, bins and other subscription services such as TV and streaming services.

Many of these bills you might never have paid for before so it’s important to understand how much your contribution is likely to be each month. “Remember, depending on your type of accommodation, these costs might have to be paid for upfront,” O’Hara says.

“If you are moving to a new location, it’s a good idea to check out what options are available to you locally for your food shop.

“Take the time to plan your meals for the week ahead in order to avoid impulse buying that might cost you more in the long run, also planning meals in advance might be the healthier choice for you.”

Threshold‘s five pieces of advice

Protect yourself against scams

Don’t be afraid to ask questions at the viewing

Verify the lease agreement

Document the proof of condition of the property

Know your rights