Hotels across the country are offering discounted rates and special offers for students as the lack of available and affordable accommodation has led to an increase in demand for their rooms.
It is because some students also choose hotels near their university because they are on campus for hybrid learning only a couple of days a week.
For some, this proves to be a cheaper option than booking long-term accommodation.
However, student unions across the country are pointing out that many are being forced to stay in hotels after failing to find alternative accommodation, and this is unsustainable for those looking for a long-term stay.
Some colleges have made arrangements with hotels due to the lack of accommodation, including Dublin City University (DCU) and the University of Limerick (UL). The Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) also has an agreement with the local Travelodge.
“Unfortunately we are facing a huge housing crisis that has lasted for many years,” said WIT Student Union President Rachel McCartney.
“Here at WITSU we have teamed up with our Travelodge over the past few years and they offer a student package and a student tariff.”
A hotel near DCU said it has only seen students renting rooms since the pandemic began, with most only booking sporadically for a night or two. One hotel in Cork and another in Galway stated that, despite the discounted rates, many students do not book long-term stays, but rather for only a couple of nights a week when they needed to be on campus.
Terence Power, president of the DCU student union, said he had heard of many students who choose to stay in hotels and guest houses because “there is absolutely no accommodation in the area”.
“We get tons of emails with families desperately looking for an apartment for their child, but there is absolutely nothing in town that is in any way affordable.
“We’ve made some deals with hotels for student discounts for short term stays, but we know that living in hotels is not sustainable and not a viable student residence.
“It is clear that our government needs immediate action to deal with the student housing crisis or we will see more students postponing or dropping out.”
Cora Klara, Social affairs officer at NUI Galway’s student union said the lack of accommodation in the city had been a major problem for several years and had gotten worse this semester.
“The lack of accommodation in Galway has been a major problem for years but appears to have reached crisis levels this year,” she said.
