Cost of college campus lodgings set to rise by up to €1,000

The cost of renting college campus accommodation in Ireland is to rise significantly from this September.

University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University – who all provide on-campus accommodation – have confirmed plans for rent increases for the upcoming academic year.

UCD confirmed it would increase the price of its accommodation again – following a rise of 13 per cent last year.

Rent for one college year (September to June) for accommodation at Belgrove, a block of apartments on the UCD campus, is to rise from €5,481 to €6,427 next semester (an increase of 17 per cent). The price includes a utilities payment of €465 and an “insurance payment” of €35.

Also in Belfield, the price of Merville accommodation is €6,427 for the year, up from €5,481 last year, while the price of Blackrock accommodation is €5,746, up from €4,091 last year (up more than 40 per cent). A spokesman for the college said the decision which allowed for this increase was taken by the finance committee of the university in 2013.

Residences

He said the decision was taken “to fund the maintenance of existing residences and the development of further spaces as soon as possible”.

A spokeswoman for Trinity College said their rates would increase 3.5 per cent this September, following a rise of 4 per cent last year. The National College of Ireland, which also provides campus accommodation in Dublin's city centre to students who attend all colleges, also confirmed a rent increase. A spokeswoman for the college said the cost of renting per semester would be €2,900, an increase of 6.2 per cent.

Mary Cunningham of the DCU accommodation office said the cost of renting accommodation in DCU on the north side of Dublin would rise 3 per cent from September.

The University of Limerick confirmed campus accommodation would increase 3.5 per cent this September, while NUI Galway said campus accommodation would rise 3 per cent this year "due to utilities hikes such as water charges".

The Department of Education said the Higher Education Authority was finalising a report on student accommodation and Minister Jan O'Sullivan expected to receive it in the coming weeks.