Accommodation Blues

by the SU team

Let’s be honest, finding accommodation in Dublin is a bitch. You show up for a viewing and are met by fifty other people looking to rent the exact same space. There are properties the size of a bathroom with the asking price of €600 a month. Then there are the adverts by some men who are looking for female roommates only; the rent seems reasonable, but the catch is that there is only one bedroom— and one bed. True story.

You may even find a place and the landlord tells you that if you pay the deposit right there in cash, then the place is yours. Be weary of this— the person you are handing your money over to may not even be the landlord. Another true story. Lack of housing options in Dublin is a harsh reality. You log onto daft.ie each day and search for a place that you can afford, is not too far from college, and is not a dump. It can be hard, but be patient because you will eventually find something that suits you.

Some things to know:

Here in Ireland, it is common for some people who rent out rooms in their homes to only offer accommodation from Monday-Friday. This is because, some Irish students who live in other parts of the country will often only need accommodation in Dublin during the week and will go to their family homes over the weekend. This may not suit you if you do not have somewhere to go come Friday evening. If your rental budget is around €400-500, be prepared to possibly have to share a room. This is very common here in Dublin.

But if you are here to study, just keep your eye on the prize because this is all temporary and you will not always have to live like this. As mentioned already, be weary of landlords demanding cash up front before you have even gotten a key. The lack of housing breeds opportunity for unscrupulous fellows, and there have been students duped out of cash by those acting as landlords. It is always best to get rental agreements in writing and written receipts for rent paid. The Students’ Union helps students with their accommodation needs by providing them with a list of rental options provided to the SU by people in the area and farther away. You can send an email to studentliving@griffith.ie to request this list. It is constantly updated as people continue to contact the SU with available accommodation. Some good information to know: Griffith College is located in the area of Dublin 8. Nearby neighbourhoods include: Portobello, Blackpitts, Rialto, Terenure, The Liberties, New Market, Kilmainham, Dolphins Barn, Inchicore, The Coombe, Merchant Quay, Island Bridge, and South Circular Road.

Alternative Options:

If a student would like to live on campus, there are limited spaces available in the Griffith Halls of Residence (GHR) You may contact GHR through these email address: live@ghr.ie and accommodation@ghr.ie, or ring them at 01-416-3320

The following are a number of reputable websites in Ireland that provide accommodation options independent of Griffith College:

https://www.daft.ie/

https://www.spotahome.com/

www.property.ie

https://www.myhome.ie/rentals/dublin/property-torent

https://www.airbnb.ie/

https://letbynet.com/

https://findahome.ie/

https://ie.roomgo.net/leinster/dublin-flatshare

http://positiveproperty.ie/

https://dublinstudentrooms.com/

https://studenthousing.ie/

http://accommodations2go.com/

https://www.student.com/en-gb/ie/dublin

http://www.highlightstudentliving.com/

Information Resources:

The Following websites provide very useful information on renting in Dublin. Rental rules and regulations are constantly changing, so use these sites below to stay updated on your rights as a tenant:

https://www.rtb.ie

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/

Good luck with your search!