UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School ‘Guide on renting off campus accommodation’ Due to an extremely high demand for accommodation in Dublin, it is important that students start looking for Our students say: accommodation early. ‘Allow at least 1-2 weeks’ Arrive at least 2-3 weeks prior time for accommodation to Orientation to secure hunting’ accommodation. For academic term dates, please check out this ‘Rent a room with a family link. nearby the School for the first month and then look for a It is also important that students long term accommodation’ do not rush and take the first ‘Be patient. Do not sign a place available. contract or pay a deposit It is vital to view a property before visiting the property before making a decision to rent yourself’ it. ‘Don’t give up, even if you can’t seem to find a place’ Useful websites with advice on renting accommodation: ‘When searching for accommodation, use words like a ‘professional postgraduate student’. Such Advice on renting and rights of tenants can be found here phrases help a lot’ Excellent source of information on securing accommodation and ‘Look at more apartment type issues around safety, deposit, contract, inventory etc. can be of properties rented by found at this link. companies over houses. They are easier to secure’ UCD Student Union website ‘If possible, try to search for places in groups – it is This website is a good source of general information about public cheaper and you can get services and entitlements in Ireland. better quality accommodation!’ The UCD Accommodation Booking and Support Office ‘Try to reach out to last year’s students via LinkedIn or Facebook. They might be vacating their house. I found my accommodation through this channel’ General tips to keep in mind before renting a property: Do not pay a deposit without visiting the property first. Avoid paying a deposit in cash and always get a receipt. Make sure the landlord is registered with the Private Residential Tenancy Board, you can check it here. More info can be found here. Never agree to rent a property without first having the opportunity to view it (be careful of rent scams). Insist that gas and electricity meter readings are recorded and an inventory is taken. If you sign a fixed term contract, you will be liable for rent for the duration of that contract. The terms of the tenancy cannot be changed during the lease period, unless both you and your landlord agree to this at the time. You can make a request to assign or sublet the tenancy to another person. If your landlord agrees you will have to agree with the landlord the arrangements for replacing yourself. Take photographs of the property to record the condition of the property especially if there is some damage (broken glass on the windows, stains on carpet etc). Make sure all appliances are working. Your landlord must provide you with an inventory at the beginning of the tenancy. If the landlord agrees to conduct any repairs before you move in, ensure to obtain this in writing and do not pay a deposit unless the repairs have taken place. Insure your own contents; they are not covered under landlord’s policy. Useful websites for off campus accommodation search: http://www.ucdaccommodationpad.ie/Accommodation UCD Accommodation FB page http://www.daft.ie/ http://myhome.ie http://www.myhome2let.ie/ http://findahome.ie http://collegecribs.ie http://property.ie http://dublinrentals.ie http://let.ie http://propertypost.ie/classfieds http://www.unison.ie/ http://www.rent.ie http://www.ucdsu.ie (under Welfare – Accommodation) www.refpm.com Renting a room in a house occupied by the landlord: If you are renting a room in your landlord's home, you do not have a standard tenancy agreement. Instead, you have a licensee agreement with your landlord. This means that you are in the property by the landlord’s consent or invitation. As a result, you cannot avail of the type of protection that tenants are entitled to under the residential tenancies legislation You can find out more about your rights in the following document: Sharing accommodation with your landlord Before you arrange to rent a room in your landlord’s home, it is strongly recommended that the two of you agree some ground rules and put them in writing. If you and your landlord each sign and keep a copy of this agreement, you can both refer to its terms in the event of confusion or disagreement. These ground rules might include: • How long is the tenancy going to last? • How much notice will either you or your landlord have to give if either of you chooses to end the tenancy? • How much rent will you pay and how often (for example, weekly, monthly)? • How will this rent be paid (cash, cheque, standing order etc.)? • When will the rent to be reviewed and how much notice will your landlord give you of a rent review? • How are utility bills (electricity, gas, water) to be divided between yourself and the landlord? • Will your landlord expect you to contribute towards refuse collection charges? • Can you have visitors to stay overnight? • Are there any restrictions regarding noise levels? Transport from the Airport to city center Temporary city center and other locations: accommodation (hostels) used by past students: Isaacs Hostel Airlink Ticket to the city centre Abigails Hostel Jacobs Inn costs 6 Euro. Find out more here. Oliver St. John Gogarty Abbey Court Abrahams Hostel Aircoach Ticket to the city centre Sky Backpackers costs 8 Euro (operates 24/7) Find out more here. Egali Hostel Taxi Route from the airport to city centre would cost approximately 50 Euro. Choosing where to live Please check the Smurfit School’s website for location and transport options. ● Areas close to Smurfit School: Blackrock, Booterstown, Mount Merrion, Stillorgan, Deansgrange, Monkstown, Dun Laoghaire, Glenageary ● City center and areas further from Blackrock: If you decide to live in the city centre, you should aim to live on a DART train line on near a bus route which will link you with Blackrock (bus number 7, 7A, 8, 4 or any bus route along N11 which has a stop in Stillorgan eg 46A, 145, 84x ). Helpful tips: Link to a map of Blackrock customized for UCD Smurfit School visitors can be found here. Figuring out how to get to campus from your rented accommodation you might find this link useful. .