Student rent bills vary by up to €2,800

STUDENTS face rent bills varying by up to €2,800 a year depending on where they go to college, research has found.

As tens of thousands of first-time college students begin the search for accommodation after being offered places from the Central Applications Office (CAO), the latest rental survey for property website Daft.ie shows that rents have fallen by more than 2% in the past three months because of growing availability of rooms to rent.

But while those renting a double room in Tralee for college in the nearby Institute of Technology face monthly charges of a little more than €300, the same type of accommodation in Dublin city centre for students of Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) could cost up to €650 a month.

The difference of almost €350 adds up to €2,768 for the average eight-month academic year.

The average cost of a double room for students at University of Limerick and the ITs in Waterford and Carlow, is also below €350, but those planning to attend University College Cork and National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) can expect to fork out up to €400 each month.

Moving nearer the capital, NUI Maynooth students will pay an average €431 in monthly rent, moving up to €525 for northside rooms near Dublin City University, €568 for those near University College Dublin on the southside, and city centre rents of €649 for those at TCD or DIT.

“The number of rental properties has doubled this year but demand is still strong so students looking for good accommodation close to where they study need to act as the best places will be taken quickly,” said Daft.ie economist Ronan Lyons.

Almost 220 third-level courses are now accepting applications for places they have not yet filled through the vacant places section of the CAO website. These are open for existing applicants and those who had not previously submitted course lists to the CAO, although the latter category must pay a €45 application fee.

Of 45,677 people offered places on courses from the CAO on Monday morning, almost 22,000 had taken up those offers by last night.

The deadline for acceptances of round 1 offers is 5.15pm next Tuesday and the CAO will make a second round of offers on Friday week, August 29.

Meanwhile, NUIG has created a website (firstinfo. nuigalway.ie) with information and advice on accommodation, registration and other topics to thousands of students accepting places there from the CAO.

The university’s alumni association will hold information evenings for parents and students from next week on what to expect from campus life, with the first events in Sligo, Ennis and Galway next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

l The National Parents Council (Post Primary) helpline for parents and students, operated by members of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, is open until 8pm at 1800 265 165.