Leaving Cert to trigger accommodation frenzy

The publication of Leaving Cert results in less than a week’s time is set to trigger another accommodation frenzy in Galway as students desperately search for a place to live.

But the bad news for prospective third level students and their parents is that all on-campus accommodation is long gone – and even private rentals are in short supply.

The results will come out next Wednesday, closely followed by the first round offers from the CAO on Monday week, August 20 – and that will trigger what has now become an annual rush.

NUI Galway has two on campus student accommodations – Corrib Village, with 176 apartments to accommodate 764 students, and Goldcrest Village, a new 429-bed residence due to open this September.

As it stands, Corrib Village is fully booked – with a waiting list already in place.

Once CAO offers have been made, the village will process any cancellations received between August 20 and 21, with the aim of offering rooms released as a result of cancelations to those on their waitlist on Wednesday week, August 22.

There are a further seven privately-owned student residences located off campus but within easy reach of the University – and the other option is to battle through the private rental market.

But the limited availability on that front is compounded by the fact that so many of last year’s NUIG and GMIT students – knowing the demands for places to live – have already held onto their accommodation from last year.

That further reduces availability – which led to a joint initiative this summer, spearheaded by the Students Unions of both colleges and Galway TD’s Catherine Connolly, Sean Kyne, Eamon Ó Cuív and Noel Grealish to issue a public appeal for homeowners to offer their spare rooms to students through the ‘rent a room’ scheme.

The scheme involves someone living in a private residence renting out a room (or rooms) during the relevant tax year. The rental income earned will be exempt from income tax, provided this income does not exceed €12,000.

In 2016, there were 18,065 students registered in NUI Galway – and that number is only increasing.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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