Accommodation Type Guide
House Share
For most students the preferred choice is to rent a house with their friends somewhere near college.Pros
- Get your own front door
- Often get a garden for a bike or a b.b.q.
- Get to live with your mates
- Can come and go at whatever time you like
- Can have friends over to stay
Cons
- You may end up not liking the people you live with
- Have shared common spaces for cleaning etc
- Normally have to sign a legally binding lease
- You're responsible for maintaining the house (paying bills, T.V. License, rubbish tags etc)
- If there are too many people in the house it may become quite hectic
- Usually in the surburbs so need to commute
- Someone usually has to be named and sign a lease
- Everyone is equally responsible for the deposit, so if its not given back everyone loses
Apartment Share
As there has been so much building in Dublin in the last few years, apartment complexes have become more popular for investors and students are the obvious renters
Pros
- Usually very close to town and have better locations
- Have freedom to come and go as you please and have friends over
- Landlord usually covers some costs like waste management, management fee's etc
Cons
- Often have no outside spaces and there are alot of restrictions to what balconies can be used for
- Usually small so only a few people live with you
- The management company can sometimes be very strict in relation to noise, rubbish etc
- Common areas of the building might not be well maintained (broken lifts etc)
- Security can be an issue if there is a shared entrance
Living with Landlord
With the economy having dipped, more people who own homes are choosing to rent a room to a lodger and this often suits students
Pros
- The landlord will always make sure the house is in great nick as they live there too
- People tend to be fussier when its their own home
- Landlord should pay the larger annual bills such as bins and T.V. License
- Landlords sometimes feel they can have curfews on students and who stays in the house, this can cause problems
- If there is a problem in the house you can just ask nicely to have it fixed or changed
- Some people feel stifled by living with someone older and more settled
- Legally, the law will support the landlord if its their permanent home so the student has less rights
Digs
Digs were very popular years ago. Digs is where you live with the owner of the house and they provide some 'home comforts' like meals and washing etc. Most parents like the idea of digs but they're not everyones cup of tea
Pros
- Can have a 5 day or 7 day option which is reflected in the rent
- Usually in a house so theres plenty of outside space and maybe some parking
- Usually wouldn't have to pay bills or buy things for the house, usually provided as part of the service
- Perfect for people who literally need a place to sleep, study and shower
- Legally the law favors the landlord as it is their permanent residence
- Can have meals served like breakfast or dinner, again this can be negotiated with the landlady
- Some people who agree 5 day terms can be overly strict in enforcing this, especially around times of exams when you might need to stay over a weekend
- The landlord is usually an older person who may have some strict house rules to follow that might not suit students
Student Accommodation
With section 50 housing there has been a large number of large student complexes popping up around the city. At the height of the boom these were very popular with students.
Pros
- Most places all bill are included in the cost including Internet an T.V.
- The rooms are purpose built to suit people who need to study (with desks and Internet connection)
- Often have strict building rules including curfew and 'no guest' rules
- Usually available for only term time so you don't have to pay rent over the summer
- Often have internal green spaces for relaxing in the good weather
- Most have live-in care-takers so are available on-site at all times
- Security is usually very good
- Living with your peers, get to know loads of people from off-campus
Cons
- Can't choose who you are living with
- Often very expensive and expect rent upfront for the term as well as a large deposit
- Usually large social areas
- Many are built on the out-skirts of the city so require a commute also
