'Severe' lack of student accommodation has made couch surfing and dropping out a reality
Denis Government College The Has Picture: Urged Crisis Cork’s University Acmodation Minihane The Union To Address Students’
The shortage of student accommodation and excessive rents are leading to “increasing desperation” among students with some skipping meals and not turning on heating, according to University College Cork’s Students’ Union (UCCSU).
UCCSU urged the Government to address the accommodation crisis at the launch of its tenancy rights campaign on Wednesday with housing charity Threshold, designed to inform student renters of their rights.
It said the “severe” lack of student accommodation has made couch surfing and dropping out of courses a reality, while others are working instead of attending lectures in order to pay their rent.
“Due to the shortage of accommodation, landlords know they can charge rents that would otherwise be unacceptable," it said.
UCCSU engagement officer Hayley O'Connell said they have heard “horror stories” from students who live in cold and damp conditions despite paying “ridiculous” amounts of rent.
“The biggest one is mould. Students will just get over it and live with mould in their house and they won’t go to their landlord or accommodation provider to fix it,” they said.
Despite it being illegal to charge more than one month’s rent for a security deposit, they said it is a common occurrence for students.
They described the current outlook on student accommodation as “bleak” adding that although the majority of students source accommodation at “ridiculous rents”, some are less fortunate and end up deferring or dropping out of their course.
They said some rents are as high as €250 per week while paying €500 per month would be considered "very cheap" with many students funding themselves through loans or work.
“You should be able to go to college, contribute to society, and not have to skip meals in order to put a roof over your head which is the reality now.
"People are really struggling and it's a shame because I think a lot of people think the students are just whining and that they want everything for free.
“If they actually went back and were students now, they would find it a much harsher reality than when they were students,” they said.