College students warned to be wary of accommodation scams

The Union of Students of Ireland (USI) has warned those seeking accommodation for the new academic year to be wary of scams.

National housing charity Threshold, the USI and Daft.ie launched the Scamwatch campaign as the offer of CAO places this week triggers the annual rush for accommodation in towns and cities.

Threshold said students were a particularly vulnerable group and the USI said that those coming from overseas to study here were most at risk, sometimes putting down money on properties that turn out to be fake.

USI president Síona Cahill said students already faced mounting difficulties in securing tenancies given the current housing crisis.

“We are seeing more cases [of scams] and people are talking about it more,” she said.

We have some simple advice for anyone seeking rental accommodation. Great Price + Great Pictures = Too Good to be True! Remember it's your money, so if you get a bad feeling, walk away. @TheUSI @daftmedia Find out more at https://t.co/9xN91lihIi pic.twitter.com/6pclgT1B3p

— Threshold (@ThresholdIRE) August 21, 2018

Students were urged o be aware of offers that appear too good to be true, and to conduct more research by checking rental rates for similar properties in the area, using Google Maps to verify that the property exists, and checking the Register of Landlords on the Residential Tenancies Board website.

Those behind the campaign also said students should never agree to rent a property without having properly viewed it and making sure they are happy with the terms and conditions of the letting.

Threshold chief executive, John-Mark McCafferty, said: “We strongly advise people to be cautious of a landlord who claims to be out of the country and can’t show you the property and requests a deposit.”

Students were also advised to avoid paying in cash, to always get a proper receipt and to never transfer funds via Western Union, Moneybookers or other Electronic Fund Transfer services to someone claiming to be an agent or landlord of a prospective property without verifying their bona fides. They should also ensure the keys work and that they have proper contact details for the landlord or agent.

Ms Cahill said there was a difference between scams and bad tenancies, and referred to cases that have come to USI attention in recent times, such as “outlandish” rents outside of Dublin, and changes or alterations to properties while students were away, including adding more beds or adding more rooms.

She also said some students were responding to difficulties in securing properties by turning down valid CAO offers so as to live closer to home, while other students faced travelling “unholy distances”, with more people in third level having longer commutes to college, often alongside working part-time.