The Union of Students in Ireland need to hear from you on your experiences with student housing. This survey takes just over 5 minutes and will provide useful data to make a positive impact in the current student accommodation crisis in Ireland.
This survey will look at areas of housing such as;
- Housing situation (PBSA, private rental, digs)
- Accommodation choices (the reasons why you chose your accommodation)
- Security of tenure
- Accommodation preferences
- Students and homelessness
- Tenants’ Rights and Lease / Licence Agreement
- Cost of accommodation
- Finding accommodation
- Accommodation quality
In 2017, AMLÉ released a similar survey in which 3,447 students across Ireland took part in. Some of the key findings were as follows;
📍 33% of students said they lived in purpose-built accommodation (PBSA)
📍 31% were in privately rented accommodation
📍 7% in digs (*The number of homeowners availing of tax-free income from rent-a-room scheme rose by 4,160 between 2004 and 2015)
📍 23% chose their accommodation because it suited their needs perfectly
📍 25% chose their accommodation because it was close to their college
📍 24% – couldn’t find anything else
📍 4% – time pressure
📍 9% of students choose accommodation based on affordability
📍 For almost one in 10 students the accommodation that they’re staying in is or may not be permanent for the duration of their studies.
📍 41% ranked PBSA as their first accommodation option
📍 27% would choose privately rented accommodation
📍 43% of students chose digs as the least preferred option
📍 38 students stated they had no accommodation
📍 They slept in friends’ couches/floors and cars
📍 In 2 cases students stated they slept on the streets
📍 (429 out of 7,000 homeless on the night Census 2016 was taken were students.)
📍 70% students in PBSA had a signed lease agreement
📍 9 in 10 respondents had signed an agreement in digs-style accommodation
📍 Less than half of those in privately rented accommodation, had signed a written contract
📍 26% of students didn’t know if their property has been registered with RTB (in privately rented accommodation)
📍 58% of students declared the monthly cost of accommodation of €251-500; half of them had an income not exceeding €500 a month.
📍 2% of respondents paid over €1000
📍 Over 20% of students experience unexpected rent increases.
📍 €400 – was average deposit
📍 36% students did not get receipts for their deposits
📍 75% of students paid for their own accommodation during term time
📍 Over one-fifth of students did not look for accommodation at all
📍 36% looked for accommodation for up to three months
📍 20% of students started looking in August
📍 24% of the respondents stated they found mould in their accommodation;
📍 21% – inadequate heating, dampness and;
📍 19%– high level of noise.
📞 If you have any housing queries, ring Threshold: 1800 454 454