IRELAND | Accommodation | Finding accommodation
General (student) housing situation
It is well to remember that accommodation in Ireland can be relatively expensive, especially in Dublin where living costs are some of the highest in the EU. It is important to research the costs and to budget accordingly. In Ireland, accommodation prices vary depending on region, location, and quality. Energy, water, waste tax, and television licence will cost extra. Finding accommodation in September when students return to college can be difficult.
Student campus accommodation is quite limited in Ireland, and virtually impossible to obtain during the academic year. It is more readily available in the summer months but it is not cheap. Privately let accommodation is more common and the following resources and information will help you in your search for a house.
It is advisable to organise at least a week of temporary accomodation in Ireland before you arrive, as it may take several days to find a place to stay.
Before you start looking for an accommodation, you should ask yourself a few questions:
- Would I prefer to live on my own or share accommodation with others?
- What is my budget?
- Do I already have a preferred area where I would like to live?
Types of accommodation
- Apartments/flat sharing
- Digs: Meaning living with a family providing full board. The rent usually includes food and utility bills.
- University halls of residence: Usually organised through International Offices. This type of accommodation is located near the campus and comes with communal kitchen and facilities. But Irish universities typically only offer halls of residence to registered full-time students and organized study abroad or Erasmus cohorts. If you are an independent intern, you may need to look into summer sublets (during the semester break) directly on student housing platforms, specialized intern housing services, or private rentals.
Finding accommodation
Quite often, your host organisation can help you with the accommodation. They are on-site so ask them in the first place.
If you have not arranged your accommodation in advance, you will find advertisements for accommodation in local evening newspapers, student notice boards, and community notice boards in local supermarkets.
The internet is a very popular tool for advertising rental accommodation. DAFT, the Digital Accommodation Finding Terminal, offers an up-to-date website for finding shared accommodation as well as apartments and houses to rent on your own. Estate Agents can also be very helpful and you can go to their offices and view the rentals that they have availble. In Ireland, estate agents do not usually charge a fee for organising viewings and negotiating letting terms.
International Offices / accommodation offices / student unions
If you have a college connection, try contacting any of the above in a local Irish third level college. This is the best solution if you come from a partner college. You can easily contact the Irish college in advance, specifying the type of accommodation required, and you will receive the information free of charge. These offices have a list of accommodation available.
Once you have found suitable accommodation that meets your needs and preferences, you should consider the following:
- Is the accommodation secure? (Check the locks on doors and windows)
- Is the accommodation multicultural?
- Is the accommodation located near you place of work?
- What is the public transport like?
- What equipment is available in the accommodation (furniture, appliances), and is everything working?
- What type of heating is it, and is there an extra charge for it?
- Are there extra charges for electricity and water?
- Do I have any allergies, for example to animals?