On-campus accommodation (Part 1)

Dublin

Rents in Dublin have risen again this year, with prices on the north side rising to meet those on the south side. This year, very few students will be paying less than £60 per week for their own rooms. If they're paying £50 or less, they'll have to positively cram people into houses or flats.

Be aware that if you don't start looking early, you'll end up living quite far out from the main colleges or else face exorbitant rents.

On-campus accommodation in DCU costs £1,900 a year for a room in a five-bedroom apartment, £1,820 for a room in a two-bed. Most of the on-campus accommodation for second to fourth-years is already gone.

There is a pre-booking service for first-year students and the waiting lists are long, but can often move quickly as all rooms booked are subject to the offer of a college place. The accommodation office in DCU provides lists of student accommodation in the area and also runs an advisory service that provides samples of letting agreements. The lists are revised daily and will only be given to students who have received an offer of a college place. DCU's director of student services, Barry Keogh, estimates that digs in the area cost on average £61 per week for a single room and £58 sharing. Flats and shared houses on the DCU bus route are generally between £55 and £65 a week exclusive of energy costs.

While Barry Keogh advises people to start looking early, he says that that availability isn't a huge issue. "The more desirable accommodation adjacent to the college is the first to go and people might not get exactly what they want, but they will get something." UCD has 1,300 bedrooms on campus. 400 of these are reserved for first-years and are allocated by random selection. The accommodation office is currently accepting applications from first-years; the closing date is this Friday August 25th at 5pm.

On-campus places in the Belgrove or Merville apartments at £1,883 per academic year and Roebuck Hall at £1,695, are definitely the best options for first-years, given the prices of digs and self-catering accommodation in the area. Accommodation officer Tony Nichol estimates that digs this year will cost around £85 for seven days and between £75 and £80 for five days. Lists of digs will be available from the accommodation office from next week, around the same time as the notice board will be posted with details of flats and houses.

On-campus accommodation is not available to first-years in Trinity College, Dublin, but they are given priority for places in Trinity Hall in Rathgar. Located within a short cycling distance and about a 45 minute walk from the college, Trinity Hall costs £1,733 from October to May for a single room and £1,300 for a shared room. First-year students livingoutside Dublin will receive an application form for rooms in Trinity Hall in the post. They are advised to complete them immediately, if they want a place, as there are only 70 rooms available.

The accommodation office also has details of flats and houses, but does not publish lists. They advise those seeking off-campus housing to consult the college notice boards and to come to Dublin at least one week in advance of starting their courses. Despite the fact that the DIT has the largest student body in the country, it still has no on-campus accommodation, although there are plans to build student residences on the new site in Grangegorman.

An accommodation list is provided by the college, however, and it is available through the students union of each of the constituent colleges. Both digs and self-catering housing are included on the lists and the students union also advises you to check the college notice boards.

NCAD's self-catering housing list has been available since June. The list, which is updated once a week, will be posted to anyone who rings up and requests it.

Digs are not included in these listings but are available if you contact the college. The accommodation office advises students not to rely solely on their services but to check the Internet and the newspapers for suitable housing. They also publish a newsletter with the do's and don'ts of finding a flat, to help you along.

Tallaght IT offers a list of accommodation in the area that includes both house shares and digs. The list is available to all registered students.

Kildare

On-campus accommodation in Maynooth is available at the University Village Apartments, but there is a waiting list. Those on the waiting list need to inform the residence office as soon as possible after they receive an offer to let them know if they are accepting their college place. The weekly rate for the apartments is £43. Halls of residence for females only are also available on campus at the Auxilia University Residence. Run by the Salesian Sisters, the rooms cost £75 per week and include breakfast and an evening meal.

Digs are available in the area, costing around £60 for five days but shared houses are a more popular option. Fionna Kenny in the accommodation office. She estimates that a room in a house will cost anywhere from £35 to £42 a week.