Students warned not to commit to college accommodation until they know if they need it
Students are being warned not to hand over deposits for college accommodation until they know if they need it.
There is still no clarity on what the college year will be like, and how often students will need to attend campus.
The Union of Students of Ireland (USI) and Threshold have teamed up to urge students to hold off for the moment so they are not left out of pocket.
It follows reports of landlords offering deals to students if they pay a deposit now.
The USI says some students have been offered two months’ free accommodation if they pay upfront now for the next academic year.
“We would advise students to hold off on committing to any lease arrangement until they have clarity from their college or university as to how frequently they will be required to attend on campus,” said John-Mark McCafferty, CEO of Threshold.
“We would also strongly advise students not to hand over a deposit until they are absolutely sure they will be renting the accommodation. If it seems like a great deal, it is probably too good to be true.”
USI President, Lorna Fitzpatrick said: “The urgency among student representatives to deal with concerns about accommodation in light of Covid-19 is evident at USI Congress which is currently taking place where students are debating housing priorities and a number of emergency motions are expected to be tabled today.
“We have been working solidly on this issue as it is a really concerning situation for many students.
“The USI has been contacted by students from every college and university across the country who have been affected by this situation. We again call on companies and landlords to show some compassion to students that are in difficult circumstances.”
“Now we are getting reports of some accommodation providers offering students two months’ free accommodation, if they pay upfront for the next academic year.
“It is very disturbing to see students being put under this kind of pressure. We don’t even know yet what college is going to look like in 2020-2021 – will students even need this accommodation?
“The last few months have shown that refunds are not too forthcoming. As well as advising students to be careful, we are calling on government and institutions to provide some clarity on how they expect college to look next year.”
