‘I have nowhere to live next week. I’m scared’: International students lift lid on rental crisis

Ireland’s reputation as an excellent destination for international education is at risk due to an acute shortage of safe and affordable places to live, according to a new report.

A total of 465 international students from more than 60 countries were asked about their accommodation experiences as part of research by the International Council for International Students, which is funded by Irish universities and higher education institutions.

Two-thirds of respondents said difficulties sourcing affordable and acceptable accommodation have affected their mental health, while one in 10 respondents said that it took them in excess of 100 days to find a place to live.

More than half of respondents reported living in a shared house or apartment, with the remainder living with families or in on-campus accommodation.

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Of those with accommodation, the vast majority (74 per cent) of English language students and more than a quarter of students in higher education shared a room with at least one other person. Almost 20 per cent of respondents said they shared a room with two people or more.

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The vulnerability of students was highlighted in the high proportion of respondents (14 per cent) who said that they have been a victim of an accommodation scam while in Ireland. Less than a third (28 per cent) of these respondents reported the incident to authorities.

Just 41 per cent of English language students said they have a lease agreement. Some 42 per cent of all respondents said they pay their rent in cash, with half of English language student respondents reporting that their rent was paid in cash.

In comments accompanying the report, students spoke of their personal experiences in finding accommodation.

“I have nowhere to live next week. I’m scared. I think I’ll return to Brazil,” said one English language student.

Another English language student from Honduras said: “Ireland is very beautiful but because of the accommodation problem I would not recommend it.”

An Indian postgraduate student commented: “sixteen people with only one kitchen and three bathrooms. Rent is also expensive.”

‘Mental stress’

A PhD student from Zimbabwe said there should be transparency from higher education institutions about the accommodation crisis in Ireland and the cost.

“The mental stress and toll it takes to find a place when you assumed it will be smooth sailing is tremendous. Such transparency goes a long way in informing whether one should move and study in Ireland,” the student said.

Overall, 54 per cents said they were satisfied with their accommodation. However, just 41 per cent of English language students were satisfied with their lodgings. Conversely, 71 per cent of Erasmus and 79 per cent of study abroad students agreed that they were satisfied with where they live.

Laura Harmon, executive director of the Irish Council for International Students said it was clear that many international students in Ireland are facing hugely challenging conditions that negatively impact their health and overall wellbeing as a direct result of the housing crisis.

“Our report shows that the accommodation crisis is hitting international students particularly hard,” she said. “It is important that we listen to first-hand accounts and experiences, understand them, and take action to address them.”

She said the council has developed a series of recommendations including the construction of more affordable, purpose-built student accommodation; an increase in inspections of private rental properties to ensure minimum standards; clear accommodation targets for the student population; targeted information campaigns to prospective students about how to find accommodation.