The student accommodation being built under the section 50 tax break scheme seems to be relieving the pressure in many of the college towns around the State. With more due on stream in 2001 things should look even brighter next year.

The same cannot be said for the traditional hot spots of Cork and Dublin, where prices have risen once again while availability has fallen.

The message from students unions and accommodation offices is to start looking now and make them your first point of reference for advice as well as accommodation lists.

An important point to remember, and one all the colleges stress, is, no matter how stressful or competitive things may seem, never to book anything you haven't seen and checked thoroughly.

Also, never hand over any money, full deposit or holding deposit, without getting a receipt.

UCD

The closing day for applications for the 400 on-campus places for first-year students has come and gone. The UCD accommodation office says it received more than twice the number of applications as there were places, so at this stage it's down to luck.

Off-campus digs may be the best option if you haven't yet found anywhere on the south side.

Accommodation officer Tony Nichol estimates that digs this year will cost around £85 for seven days and between £75 and £80 for five days.

The accommodation office still has details of flats and houses and this year students can expect to pay £50-plus to share a room and a minimum of £60 for a single.

DCU

Some 31 on-campus rooms became available in DCU from students who had prebooked a room but weren't offered a college place. These, unfortunately, have all been swallowed up by the waiting list.

Barry Keogh, director of student services, says that people should now concentrate their efforts on getting digs or houses. He estimates that digs will cost, on average, £61 per week for a single room and £58 sharing.

Flats and shared houses on the DCU bus route are generally between £55 and £65 a week. This, he says, represents an increase of about £5 a week on last year.

Those beginning their search now should be aware that securing a place within walking distance of the college will be very difficult. However Keogh is confident that everyone will be accommodated: "You may not get your first preference, but you will get somewhere."

TCD

The TCD accommodation advisory centre opened yesterday. The centre offers assistance, advice and "a base to work from" when looking for accommodation. All the city on-campus places for Trinity have been allocated. However there should still be some spaces available at Trinity Hall, in Dartry, as applications are still being processed.

Trinity accommodation officer Tony Dempsey says that many returning students will have made their accommodation plans before the summer, but the office is still receiving offers from private landlords and householders offering digs.

Cork

All of the on-campus and student residences of University College Cork are now full, according to UCC accommodation officer Maura O'Neill.

At this stage most Cork students will be at the mercy of the private rental sector, which is becoming very competitive. "Prices are rising, reflecting the general property market," says O'Neill.

This year, she says, students can expect to pay an average of £3 to £5 more per week for houses and flats and will have to compete for places with working people.

Rents vary from £40 upward for a shared room and £50 to £60 for a single. O'Neill says her office will have accommodation for students until October and she advised students not to panic and end up renting substandard flats and houses.

Maynooth

On-campus accommodation at Maynooth, Co Kildare, is now completely booked up. Students are advised to travel to Maynooth as soon as they decide to accept an offer. Fiona Kenny, in the accommodation office, says that the situation has not become desperate yet but there is less choice for those still looking.

People seeking accommodation after the second round offers will mostly have the options of digs or self-catering house shares. Digs in the area should cost about £60 with a room in a house estimated at £35 to £42 per week.

Galway

There is an increasing shortage of houses and flats in Galway, according to Margaret Faherty, accommodation officer with NUI Galway. This, she says, is largely due to the tourist season stretching beyond the summer months and reducing the number of houses released on to the market.

House offers are beginning to filter into the office, but far more slowly than before. Despite the delays this year, the college accommodation office is already updating its lists several times a day, and Faherty advises students to starting looking for a place now rather than holding out for the tourist season to end.

There are still some places available at Corrib Village and the new student purpose residence Dun Aras, where the first 12 apartments have just been completed.

Limerick

Many UL students will have secured their home for the year at the accommodation open day on Friday, August 25th, but, for those who didn't, there is still hope.

"There has been increased demand this summer," says Frances McNamara, accommodation officer with UL, "but we're not in a crisis situation." Students are encouraged to drop into the accommodation office to gets lists of digs and houses.

McNamara estimates that a room in a shared house should cost £35 for a single room and £32.50 sharing. Digs run to about £50 to share a room and £55 single for five days.

Sligo

There are still plenty of digs available for students taking up a place at Sligo IT. There is also a noticeboard which details shared houses and self-catering within family homes.

The noticeboard is updated several times daily and places are moving fairly quickly at this stage.

Student-purpose accommodation is planned for the town, but this will not be available until next year.

Those in need of advice can drop into accommodation officer Madeline Finan.

Waterford All of the 69 on-campus places at Waterford IT have now been filled, but students are advised that there are still digs and self-catering/house shares available.

For those seeking flats and houses, things are getting more difficult. According to accommodation officer Eilish O'Rourke: "Most of the houses close to the college are now gone." Her advice is to get an accommodation pack from the college now and not to book anything over the phone.

Tralee

The advice from accommodation officer Fr Pat O'Donnell is to come to Tralee as soon as possible: "Demand is much heavier than usual this year." O'Donnell says that there are now fewer than 200 housing spaces in the town and that that number is decreasing rapidly. "Most of the single rooms are gone at this stage," he says.

Digs this year are ranging from £45 to £50, where last year most cost £45. Rooms in houses are in the £25 to £35 bracket but most people who are still looking at this stage can expect to pay between £30 and £35.

Letterkenny

Student services officer with Letterkenny IT, Paddy Gallagher, says that the housing situation has become a "bit more demanding" than it was this time last year. "A lot of stuff that we would still have had around this time has already been gobbled up."

Gallagher says that a lot of people who would have commuted last year are now choosing to stay in the town and those who would previously have gone for digs are now opting to rent houses.

Houses in the area cost about £30 for a single room, which is approximately the same as last year.

Dundalk

The first phase of Collegian DK IT, the new student accommodation for Dundalk IT, will now be ready mid-October rather than early September as originally planned. The complex will consist of 24 four-bed apartments this year with the second phase of 24 to be ready in autumn 2001.

Applications are now being accepted and a room will cost £1,600 for the academic year. Those not going for the on-campus accommodation still have the option of digs and self-catering house shares, but the supply of houses for rent is beginning to dwindle.

Student union president Darren Reddy says that there is no great panic and the situation remains "about the same as last year".

Athlone

Digs, self-catering and houses are all still available in plentiful supply in Athlone.

In fact the students union at Athlone IT says landlords are reporting that they are receiving hardly any calls from students seeking accommodation and that housing in general does not seem to be moving as quickly this year.

Nevertheless students are advised to call into the students union for advice and a list of what's available.

Carlow

There is no shortage of accommodation in Carlow at the moment, with plenty of houses, flats and digs coming into the Carlow IT office daily. Flats and houses are costing £30 to £35 with digs at £50 to £55.