Ongoing accommodation crisis affecting students in Dublin

The struggle to find housing has long been a problem for many college students across Dublin – and it just seems to be getting worse. 

Due to the lack of student accommodation, many students have had to resort to awful living conditions and dangerous areas. 

In order to be close to their campuses, many students live in places recommended by their colleges, or share apartments and houses. The Dublin 7 and 8 areas are popular both for dedicated student accommodation and for sharing. 

Finding accommodation, specifically in Dublin, is extremely tough and has always been challenging for many students. Students who have the choice of staying in family homes anywhere near Dublin often choose to commute. Others don’t have that choice.   

“Finding accommodation for this year was so hard,” college student Solat Rahim said. “I was on a waiting list for almost every student accommodation I applied for. Any house or apartment I applied for wouldn’t attend to me because I was very young.”

“My aunt had to help me get accommodation where I’m living now, and I moved in the day before college was meant to commence.”

A common problem many students have faced is needing help to find accommodation before the start of the academic year. The uncertainty of not knowing where you will live is an unsettling reality for many college students across Dublin. 

“Unfortunately, my sister didn’t get accommodation, so she had to stay with me from September to the end of November; my aunt also helped her get accommodation in a house with a landlord (same as me), but her accommodation is a bit further away from college which is not ideal,” Rahim continued.

Finding accommodation doesn’t solve all the problems created by the housing crisis here in Dublin. Students may have to live in horrible conditions, such as no running hot water and mould. 

“In my first month in my accommodation, I had no hot water at all, and my door lock was broken,” said college student Bela Hurst, 18. 

Mould has become an epidemic when it comes to students renting in houses and apartments. Many have found black mould in their showers and bedrooms. 

“I currently have mould in my room that’s been very hard to get rid of. Everyone is always sick. I don’t know if it’s because of the mould or because there’s a draft,” said Killian Guidera, 20. 

“Finding accommodation was also difficult because the rent prices were going up, and some landlords requested 900 a month for a closet with no kitchen or bathroom. It’s horrific,” added Rahim.

Skyrocketing rent prices make it feel impossible for students to find and stay in accommodation and the problem has only become worse.