Got questions or stories about looking for student accommodation? We want to hear from you

EVERY YEAR AT this time we hear stories about students who are struggling to find affordable accommodation for the academic year ahead.

This year the situation seems more bleak than ever before. Rents across the country are jumping to record levels and the number of rental properties is at its lowest in recorded history.

We’re going to discuss the student accommodation situation in a live video on our Facebook page on Tuesday evening at 5pm.

We want to hear your stories about searching for a place and any questions you might have about your rights and the best way to get accommodation.

The Facebook Live will hear from UCD’s Student Union President Katie Ascough and our own reporter Cormac Fitzgerald.

Supply and demand

The average rental price in Dublin is now a worrying €1,707 per month and the latest Daft.ie quarterly report puts these steep prices down to the lack of supply.

With such high demand and high prices, students are scrambling to get a spot in overpriced and often unsuitable places – or simply avoid being scammed.

In the past week alone, we’ve heard about some landlord flouting laws around rent increases. Rent Pressure Zone legislation, which should stop landlords raising rent by more than 4% a year, is not always being followed.

Ireland’s largest student accommodation manager has even started exploring floating student accommodation where high-end barges could be used to house up to 400 students.

Got a question you’d like answered or a story you want heard? Get in touch in the comments section below, email cliodhna@thejournal.ie or keep an eye out for the Facebook Live from 5pm on Tuesday and get your questions in on our Facebook page.

Read: ‘The rise of absolute cowboys’: Scammers are targeting students desperate for somewhere to live>