Hi-tech bid to get homeowners to rent rooms

Efforts to get more home- owners to rent spare rooms to college students are going hi-tech with a campaign targeting internet users in Dublin.

In a project mostly funded by student unions at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, adverts promoting the tax relief available for renting out rooms in owner-occupied houses are being placed on a number of property and commercial websites.

But using codes that recognise the location of browsers on property sites Daft.ie, Rent.ie and Let.ie through their internet protocol (IP) address, the banner ads will only be visible to those viewing the sites near the campuses of the two universities. The €15,000 campaign, partly funded by Daft.ie, will also see banner ads placed on its other sister sites, DoneDeal.ie and Adverts.ie.