Shortage of student housing blamed on anti-social behaviour

Students tell the Irish Examiner they are spending hours commuting and staying in hotels or cars to attend college in Limerick

Anti-social behaviour among students is 'exacerbating the shortage of student properties', according to an email sent by the University of Limerick’s interim provost and deputy president Nigel Healey to students. File picture: Brian Arthur

Anti-social behaviour among students is “exacerbating the shortage of student properties”, according to an email sent by the University of Limerick’s interim provost and deputy president Nigel Healey to students, seen by the Irish Examiner.

Prof Healy’s email cites media reports of damage from student parties, saying this behaviour is causing private landlords to withdraw from the student housing market.

“I am aware it is a very small percentage of our student community who think behaving with complete disregard for others is somehow acceptable, but unfortunately the negative impact is huge and affects us all,” he said.

The accommodation crisis among Limerick’s students is growing, with a number of students who contacted the Irish Examiner saying their searches for somewhere to stay for the academic year had proven fruitless.

The accommodation crisis among Limerick’s students is growing, with a number of students who contacted the Irish Examiner saying their searches for somewhere to stay for the academic year had proven fruitless. File picture

A student who intends to complete a PhD at UL, said she will have to sleep in her car a couple of nights a week because the nearest accommodation she could find was in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, over an hour from Limerick City.

From next week onward, I will live in Clonmel which is located one hour 15 minutes by car from the campus. I will commute two times a week and sleep in my vehicle once or twice a week.” 

Public transport is too expensive and inadequate for her schedule, she said, adding: “I hope that I can find a safe place to park and that it won't be too cold.” 

Megan Grimes from Dundalk, a final year student at UL, said the three weeks’ notice of the return to campus had left students scrambling.

“I have been trying since to get accommodation with absolutely no word back from any sort of landlords or off-campus apartments, leaving myself being from Co Louth with no accommodation available to me,” she said.

She said the price of on-campus accommodation had risen, so “for the first time in three years” she could not avail of that option either.

“I cannot use that option either, so now I have to commute four hours down from my hometown and stay in a hotel that is costing me €80 a night in order to complete my final year.” 

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

In response to reports of Limerick’s accommodation crisis, a spokesperson for UL said the college was aware of the issues, “with demand at its highest in recent memory”. 

In response to reports of Limerick’s accommodation crisis, a spokesperson for UL said the college was aware of the issues, 'with demand at its highest in recent memory'. File picture: True Media

“This has been exacerbated by a pattern of private landlords leaving the student rental market.” 

The spokesperson said the college was working with Government and partners “to play a role in tackling this growing crisis, which has been further deepened by a housing shortage and other issues created by the pandemic.

“UL’s on-campus residences remain the most affordable in terms of rental fees charged for on-campus housing compared to all other Irish university on campus accommodation facilities,” they added.

UL Student Life (the college’s students’ union) did not respond to requests for comment.