Home hunting, particularly when you are doing it for the first time, is tough, but it can be made an awful lot easier with a bit of preparation.
Use your college's guidelines on the average cost of rents and digs for the area, as many accommodation offices will have advised the landlords on their lists what the college considers to be an acceptable rate to charge.
Pay attention to the different terminology used on the lists. In some colleges digs are called "lodgings" and "self-catering" means digs where you live with a family, but do your own cooking.
In the smaller college towns some of the on-campus and purpose-built student housing might seem expensive when set against the average private sector rent, but you need to weigh up what you get for your money.
Purpose-built student accommodation gives you the opportunity to live in a student community, the rooms have been specifically designed with students in mind and, in some cases, after you've paid your rent you don't see another bill for the rest of the year.
On the down side, they are generally covered by a licence to reside which affords the occupant less rights than a lease.
It's vitally important in private rented accommodation that you understand anything you are about to sign. If you are unsure about a lease or any other written contact, bring it to the college accommodation office.
They will check it out for you. Whether or not you are signing a lease, make sure you get a rent book which is signed regularly by the landlord.
For those of you about to make the break from home, here is a round-up of advice from accommodation offices of third-level colleges across the State.
UCD
There are 1,300 places on University College Dublin's Belfield campus these are spread over the Belgrove, Merville and Roebuck Hall residences. A room in the Belgrove or Merville apartments costs £2015 for the academic year. Roebuck Hall costs £1814 to £2015, depending on the size of the room.
Thirty per cent of the on-campus accommodation is reserved for first-year undergraduates. Written applications from first-year students are only accepted after the release of CAO offers, the accommodation is then allocated by random selection on September 1st.
Accommodation officer Tony Nichol reminds students not to apply on the strength of their Leaving Cert results, they must wait until they receive an offer of a place in UCD from the CAO.
The accommodation office compiles a list of digs and gives advice on rented housing.
"We have some stuff coming in already," Nichol says, "but there will be a lot more at the end of the month because a lot of householders are still on holidays."
Digs in the area generally cost around £80 for seven days. Self-catering accommodation in houses and flats run from about £250 to £300.
DCU
On-campus accommodation at Dublin City University is allocated to first years through a pre-booking system which allows students to secure a room, subject to an academic offer from the college.
DCU has 524 on-campus spaces for undergraduates and 30 per cent of these are reserved for first years. The average price of an on-campus room is £57.50 per week. Booking for this academic year began in November 2000 and finished in March 2001, so if you didn't apply then, on-campus is not an option.
Do not despair, as the accommodation office will supply you with a very good list of private landlords. The list is only available to DCU students, which does an awful lot to ease the competition. The day you receive your CAO offer contact the accommodation office for a password to access the list online.
Unfortunately private rented housing in the area is more expensive than on-campus.
"The average private rent was about £66 a week last year and I would imagine it will go up again," Trisha Barry in the accommodation office says.
Digs will cost about £75 a week, she says, and are easier to get than flats or houses. However, as long as students look early they should have no problems finding a place.
"We're quite happy with the number of rooms we have on our list so far. I can't imagine anyone will be stuck for somewhere to live," says Barry.
TCD
On-campus rooms at Trinity College Dublin are not available to first-year students, but places are reserved for them at Trinity Hall in Dartry, south of Dublin city centre. Unfortunately, due to construction work there are only 70 rooms at a cost of £60 a week and these are allocated at the discretion of the college.
TCD runs an accommodation advisory service with details of lodgings and self-catering accommodation. The service also posts copies of the rental listings published in the local newspapers. In addition, there are two telephones students may use at no charge to contact prospective landlords.
Accommodation officer Tony Dempsey says there seems to be less student housing than last year, but says the advisory service will give students good advice to help secure a place.
DIT
Despite having the largest student body in the State, the Dublin Institute of Technology still has no on-campus or purpose-built student accommodation, so those not opting for digs are left completely at the mercy of the private rented sector. DIT does have an accommodation service run by the student services office in co-operation with the students' union in each of the constituent colleges. A list of digs and self-catering housing is available through each student union.
Affordable flats and houses are in extremely limited supply, so it's a good idea to consider digs. If you want your own place, don't rely on the student union listings, but check out the newspaper listing and Internet sites such as daft.ie.
UCC
Castle White is University College Cork's on-campus accommodation. The college is also connected to the purpose-built student housing at Brookfield, Dean's Hall, Student Village and Abbey Wharf. Unfortunately it's all gone.
"The on-campus accommodation has been full since February and the waiting list is as long as your arm," says Dennis MacDonald, of the college's accommodation office.
If you're starting the hunt now, your housing options are digs or flats and houses. Digs cost £68-73 for five days and around £83 for seven days.
"The good thing about digs is you don't pay if you're not there at Christmas and Easter," says MacDonnald.
Private rented housing is more expensive, at £45-£50 to share a room and £55-£60 for your own room. Flats and houses have been slow to come in this year, he says, but it should get busier over the coming weeks.
MacDonald advises first-years to come to Cork as soon as they can as a lot of the older students started booking their places before the summer.
"Availability looks okay at the moment, but don't leave it too late to come. Call the accommodation office before you travel and bring a deposit of around £100 to secure a place."
Free phones are available in the accommodation office for students making local calls to landlords.
Cork IT
The housing at Abbeyville, Brookfield and Student Village is open to Cork Institute of Technology students, but as with UCC, it's all gone.
Fiona Kelly of the accommodation office suggests that first-years go for digs at about £55-£65 for five days. Rents, she says, are £45-£50, but it can be very difficult for first years to secure houses and flats.
"A lot of the returning students book places before the summer or just keep paying rent during the summer."
The college does have lists of flats and houses, but they are slow coming in Kelly says.
NUI Galway
In addition to the 760 places in Corrib Village, NUI Galway has two new apartment complexes for students. D·nβras has 409 rooms and the newest, Amhra, has 60. Places in these apartments are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and are snapped up quite quickly.
The accommodation office in the college has lists of digs, self-catering and private rented housing.
Accommodation officer Margaret Faherty advises all first-years to either stay in digs or on campus. "Our surveys show that first-year students who choose digs or on-campus do better in exams that those who rent flats or houses."
Digs are priced at £55-£65 for five days and £70-£80 for seven. Rent in flats and houses is about £40-£45 to share a room and £50-£55 for a single. Accommodation is overpriced, Faherty says, and it is difficult for students to compete in the private sector.
"There is always a good supply of digs, but a lot of apartments are purpose-built for mature professionals only. We need more student-purpose housing."
Accommodation packs are available from the college, with lists of digs, self-catering places, flats and houses. The pack also has details of estate agents who will deal with students, where to stay short term and general advice on renting.
Galway Mayo IT
On Monday, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology published its accommodation lists of flats and digs. This year digs should cost around £50-£55 for five days and £65-£70 for seven, whereas flats are around £40 per person. There are also two complexes near the college, Glasβn with 700 places and Gleann na R∅ with 300. Both charge approximately £50 a week per person. Payments are made in two instalments during the academic year.
Annie Geraghty of the accommodation office says things are looking good for this year's home hunters.
"There is no problem getting digs, but most people are competing for houses and flats. However, there are a lot more places this year than last and although things might seem panicky now they will settle down," she says.
NUI Maynooth
The application date for on-campus accommodation at Maynooth has already passed, but the message from residence officer Fiona Kenny is not to worry. "In general students find accommodation within a few days." Digs cost about £65 for five days and £80 for seven, and flats and houses are £40-£45 a week. The residence office also has a list specifically geared towards first years.
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