In recent weeks, the Government launched the first ever National Student Accommodation Strategy. If followed through, it will make some inroads to alleviating the enormous pressure third-level students and their parents are under with regard to the availability and cost of accommodation for students. Unfortunately, this strategy will not have any immediate affect on the incoming first-year students of 2017.

So, without further ado, here are some ways to navigate this complex housing issue and secure last-minute student accommodation.

Firstly, it is imperative to note that if you missed the initial (very early) boat, when a lot of student accommodation around the country gets booked up, now is not a bad time to be looking. The CAO points are out on Monday (21 August) and with it, inevitably, many people’s plans will change. Some will not get the course they wanted and will have to take a place in a college they had not intended on, while others will repeat. This means one thing: cancellations. This moving and shaking is the perfect opening to snap up accommodation.

The advice from managers of various campus and purpose-built student accommodation complexes is to ring the specific accommodation office and see are they booked up (sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but most are at this stage). If they operate a waiting list, put your name down straight away in the hope you get a cancellation. If there is no waiting list, ask on what date you can ring back for a cancellation booking.

Dublin

For the academic year 2017/2018, University College Dublin (UCD) opened a window between 10 May and 10 July. Anyone who applied for accommodation during this time was allocated a room through random selection when the window closed, not on a first-come first-served basis. After this, anyone applying was put on a waiting list, prioritised by when you put your name down. The university has 1,035 beds available to incoming first years and there are currently 3,500 people on a waiting list.

Students going to any of the Dublin colleges may be interested in private student accommodation in Buckley Hall, located on Buckingham Street Lower in the city centre. However, unfortunately this booked out in February. Property manager Michelle McGrane says the current waiting list is four times the capacity, but she would still encourage people to put their names down as many people will book places in multiple accommodation complexes, but only end up taking one.

Cork

On-campus accommodation at University College Cork (UCC) is fully booked, but a statement issued by the college outlined that, based on previous years, they would expect 100 to 120 beds to become available through cancellations.

There is no waiting list for UCC’s on-campus accommodation, these beds will be allocated through UCC’s placement service. To register for the placement service, students can fill in an accommodation enquiry form online on UCC’s website, which is available from 21 August at 10am (the morning of the CAO results).

UCC’s website states: “Students living at least 45km away from the university will be prioritised via a centralised placement service. Agreement has been reached that first years will be prioritised should vacancies arise in UCC-owned accommodation, block-booked complexes and certain private complexes via the placement service.”

Brookfield Village, a private, purpose-built student accommodation complex serving CIT and UCC, like most, has been fully booked since February. The complex does not operate a waiting list and cancellations are offered on a first-come first-serve basis by ringing the day after the CAO offers, 22 August.

Limerick

The University of Limerick (UL) has six on-campus student villages, all of which are fully booked. Campus life services, which run UL’s on-campus accommodation, operate a waiting list. When Irish Country Living rang to check availability, the accommodation office explained that there will be places allocated to the waiting list, but as this is quite long it is unlikely anyone putting their name down now will get a bed.

Groody Student Village and Brookfield Hall, purpose-built student accommodation located a 20- and 25-minute walk, respectively, from the heart of UL’s campus, are also booked out. Both operate waiting lists and are encouraging students to put their names down as they expect a number of cancellations come CAO time.

Galway

On-campus accommodation for NUI Galway (NUIG) is fully booked and the waiting list has closed. All other purpose-built student accommodation in Galway is booked out, but some still have open waiting lists, so the best option is to ring around.

NUIG has an accommodation office with a list of available accommodation options, both purpose-built and private houses. They can be contacted on 091-492 760 or online at https://www.nuigalway.ie/student-life/accommodation/. GMIT Student’s Union has an online accommodation listings that can be accessed at http://gmitsu.ie/accommodation/.

Digs

President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), Michael Kerrigan, is urging students not to rule out digs-style accommodation. The number of students living in digs has doubled since 2012 and last year 6,000 students around the country lived in digs, a number the USI is expecting to continue to rise.

“Last year we had a lot of students who were staying on friend’s couches, in cars, hostels and things like that. We are trying to avoid that and the best way is to start looking for accommodation as soon as possible and not to rule out accommodation such as digs.

“We would be saying to check all routes, all options and to apply for everywhere you can. There is a lot of purpose-built student accommodation that will leave aside a certain amount of bedrooms for first years only, but again these are limited. I wouldn’t say not to apply (for purpose-built/on-campus), but you should be looking everywhere you can.”

Despite the urgency in looking for student accommodation, the USI is urging students and their parents to make sure they are protected, have a proper lease and that conditions are liveable.

Be tenacious when looking for accommodation at this time, but make sure you do not get scammed or agree to accommodation that is unsuitable for you.

Lap of luxury

There is still some purpose-built student accommodation available in Dublin, but it is going to cost you. Rent for the newly-built luxury student accommodation complex, Aparto Dorset Point, is over €900 a month.

The plush 447-bed complex on Dublin’s Dorset Street was launched in July and includes a cinema room, a games room, a gym, a study room and a roof-top terrace. All bedrooms have a four-foot bed, a storage area and an en suite. The rent, starting at €235 a week, includes the use of all facilities and bills.

This is the fourth student accommodation complex open by Hiens Group Operations in Dublin and it is reported that the property giant intends seeking planning permission for another accommodation block on Cork Street in the capital.

Broadstone, a 101-bed complex in Phibsborough, owned by the other main provider of luxury student accommodation in Dublin, Uninest, is booked out for September at a cost of €225 a week. Uninest’s latest accommodation complex, New Mill, is set to house students from September. CL