Hundreds of homeowners respond to student ‘digs’ appeal

Homeowners on both sides of the city are responding like never before to the student rental crisis by offering up spare rooms – with the chance to earn €12,000 tax free income.

Students’ Union (SU) leaders in both NUIG and GMIT are urging students not to panic but to lower their expectations when it comes to securing accommodation.

While a number of houses are being released by landlords this week ahead of Monday’s CAO offers, the best chance of ensuring a place to live near both institutions is a return to yesteryear when digs were the only game in town.

Three years ago 4,000 beds were advertised for rent in houses aimed at NUIG students – this year it’s down to 1,800.

“As we expected it is proving very difficult to find convenient accommodation – we’re trying to tell students not to expect to move into a house in the city centre with three or four of their friends – at least that’s not what we’re experiencing,” remarked NUIG Students’ Union president Jimmy McGovern.

“We’re finding that newly graduated students and young professionals are staying in houses traditionally for students because of the housing crisis, rent has also gone up so where there is accommodation, some students can’t afford it.

“That cycle created a crisis which hit heavy last September, more than anyone expected. This year I don’t think it will be worse but it will still be very, very challenging.”

For more on the student accommodation crisis, see this week’s Galway City Tribune