With More students taking up third-level places than ever before, the usual annual accommodation crisis faced in the bigger cities is turning into an accommodation catastrophe.
Launching a campaign on student housing recently, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) called on the Government to spend £65 million on on-campus accommodation to alleviate the problem. "There is an urgent need to build more student accommodation at this stage," says USI welfare officer Cian O'Callaghan. "Students just can't compete in the private rented sector any more because rents are so high. They have to take the cheapest option, which is inevitably the poorest quality, and even at that they have to give more and more time over to part time work. "As a result, their academic work, the reason they've come to college in the first place, is suffering."
Increasingly students are faced with no option but to stay put in their family homes and commute long, arduous distances. Student union officers at UCD reported cases of students commuting to Dublin from Cork three times a week last year. While this would still be quite exceptional, a good two hours' daily commuting time is more and more common. Rather than abandon students to the private rented market, which can affect their qualifications and ultimately their employability, Callaghan believes the Government should consider that "investing in student accommodation is an investment in the future". Brian Hayes TD, the Fine Gael spokesperson on housing, says: "We are looking at the result of decades of neglect, and in the current private rented sector any group, like students, on a fixed income doesn't stand a chance. "But there actually is accommodation out there, if we examine the situation. We should try to match up the need for transient accommodation with the needs of people who have space to let."
Earlier this summer, the Government set up a commission on the private rented sector, on which USI is represented. The commission will come up with a list of recommendations to create the basis for a more equitable situation.
It is expected to report in June on ways in which security of tenure and the balance of rights and obligations between landlords and tenants can be achieved. It will also look at ways in which the supply of rented accommodation can be improved. However, while this is seen as a positive development, "June 2000 is too late for even next year's students, never mind this year's," O'Callaghan says.
Meanwhile, this autumn, Dublin is the worst place in the country for rented accommodation - once more. With an average rental of £50 per week sharing, it is the most expensive and, for a variety of reasons, it will be the scene of the longest queues of prospective flat-hunters. Things are not a lot better in Galway or Cork, and this year, for the first time, students at Dundalk IT will begin to experience difficulties.
In Dublin, property prices are now so high that a whole sector of professional people who used to buy homes are staying in the rented sector. And many houses traditionally let out in flats are being bought and reconverted to family homes. As a result, there are fewer affordable places available. Where demand exceeds supply, the supplier can have a field day: rents increasingly exceed your average student's total means. The situation is similar in Galway, though its popularity as a tourist destination is also contributing to the difficulty. Previously the tourists headed back home once the colder weather of autumn hit, leaving fancy pads free for students who prefer to rent only for the academic year. However, bad weather seems to be less and less of a deterrent; tourists are staying longer and students in Galway are competing with the tourist population. In Dundalk, where new premises are being built for an expected influx of workers, availability is being squeezed. Next year, when Xerox workers move in, the students' union is anticipating its first ever accommodation crisis.
Once you've finally realised that hard-earned place in college, finding somewhere to live is all a bit deflating.
However, there is an awful lot of help on hand. Almost every college in the State now has an accommodation service which offers students both written guidelines and one-to-one assistance and support. USI, Threshold and several of the colleges publish free leaflets with information on everything from how to find a home to what your rights are. Some colleges send information out to students within the next few days, after today's first-round offers. But most accommodation officers would advise students that it is at least safer, if not essential, to make your way to the college as soon as possible, get a list and start looking. Before you run out the door, give some thought to what options are on offer. Lodgings, or digs, are the most common form of accommodation among first-years. In this set-up, students have a room in a family home, get their breakfast, tea and occasionally sandwiches to bring to college. It tends to be the most economical, and in many ways, most practical option, though given that it's not much of a departure from living at home with the folks, it isn't necessarily the most popular. Still, most accommodation officers encourage first-years to at least give digs some consideration. Depending on whether you stay five or seven days, whether or not you share a room and what part of the country you're based in, the cost is anything from £45 to £75 a week. The best option by far, of course, would be on-campus housing - if it wasn't for the frustrating dearth of it. What's there is usually of a secure and high standard; it offers the companionship of other students as well as close proximity to college facilities.
The disadvantages are similar in some ways to digs: college authorities tend to cast a disapproving eye on late-night parties and may restrict the number of overnight guests. Also, on-campus students don't have even the few tenants' rights accorded their flat-dwelling peers; if they break the rules set out by college authorities, students can be thrown out immediately - and no one cares if you're just about to read a prescribed text/write an essay/sit your exams.
Every year USI calls for legislation to protect the rights of students in digs and on-campus accommodation. Hopefully the tenacity will pay off soon. Meanwhile, given the shortage, most on-campus accommodation is already booked up, but there are places, such as Galway, which still have space for first-years. Be warned though: the waiting lists are very long. And that leaves . . . flathunting. Cheapest, and by far the best crack, is for a bunch of students to get together and share a house or a flat. This year in some parts of the country you'll be lucky if you get away with less than £50 a week each, no matter how many pals you squash into your room with you. Finance can prove a depressing issue, but don't despair; talk to your college's accommodation officer, who will give you good advice and support. Most important, don't stick your head in the sand and leave it until the last minute. To give yourself the best options on offer, get to your destination as soon as you possibly can. While there, get up and out hunting early each day.
Your first stop should be to get a list of accommodation to let. Check the list you get from college, look at the college noticeboard for anything else, try noticeboards in local shops, buy the early edition of the evening paper and start marking out suitable properties. Then get on the phone and make appointments. Get to the property some time in advance - at peak times there can be long queues. Anything on the college list should be reasonably priced. It's other listings, ones which have all those relatively wealthy computer types in mind, which could prove disheartening. Having checked out a handful of places, you'll soon get the hang of the language. Generally speaking, anything described as an apartment will cost something laughable. The same thing tends to apply to studio style. Flats and bedsits are more in the student-finance vein, but be warned: it isn't unknown to have these terms applied to nothing more than a damp shed.
Once inside the door, never feel too embarrassed to do a very thorough check. Have a good look around for damp and if you see any indications, just say no. You should be able to see your way around in the daytime without lights switched on.
Speaking of which, check every single appliance. That includes looking inside the fridge - and don't be surprised to find ancient contents walking out to greet you; however, do feel some sense of revulsion and insist the fridge is scrubbed clean before signing anything. In fact, don't crumble under pressure and make any rash decisions. Neither sign lease agreements nor hand over money unless you are happy you understand what you are agreeing to and that the accommodation will do you for the next year. Most important, never, ever sign a lease on behalf of a cotenant, no matter how good a friend he or she is. Which brings us to: know your rights. There is a certain amount of legislation governing rented accommodation. Check with the Department of the Environment or Threshold. Both have leaflets with information which explain exactly what you are entitled to and the sort of pitfalls you should avoid. Finding somewhere to live can be a daunting task, whether you are a student or a rich tycoon. But don't panic - you'll get there in the end.
