Student rental prices in 2010 remain static throughout the country, while students are finding an adequate supply of accommodation and higher quality properties.

Student accommodation listed on CollegeCribs.ie - Ireland’s dedicated student accommodation website, show that landlords are keeping their rent at comparable prices to 2009, due to the increase in student numbers countering the increase in the number of properties available on the rental market.

Dublin remains the most expensive city for students to live in, followed by Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Analysis of the CollegeCribs.ie database of student specific accommodation shows that the average weekly rental price for students in Dublin continues to be between €80 - €110, with city centre and South Dublin (TCD, DIT, UCD) being the more expensive areas. DCU students living in the North of the Capital can expect to pay less. Students in Cork can find accommodation between €75 - €90 per week and in Galway a student can anticipate paying between €65 - €80. University of Limerick students will be looking to hand over between €55 - €70 per week, with the students in Waterford expecting to pay the same.

2009 saw sharp rental price falls as a result of the economic downturn and increased accommodation options available. However, the increase in student numbers somewhat dampened the effect in the student rental market, avoiding the large rent reductions that other sectors of the market experienced. Dublin experienced the greatest fall in student rental costs with student accommodation being over 15% cheaper than previous years. Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford also saw falls of about 10%, with the rest of the country following suit.

Student accommodation in Ireland has vastly improved over the past number of years and students are now getting a fairer deal – gone are the days when landlords can easily rent sub-standard properties. With the continued increase of on-campus and ‘Section 50’ (purpose-built, tax-designated student accommodation complexes) accommodation and the increasing number of properties coming into the rental market instead of being sold, the student of 2010 has the opportunity to be pickier and more demanding about his or her accommodation and has a greater choice than ever before. As a result, landlords are having to update and improve their accommodation in order to attract and retain students. Broadband Internet, microwaves, washing machines and dryers are all being demanded by today’s student.

CollegeCribs.ie was set up to help students find their perfect ‘home-away-from-home’. CollegeCribs.ie is Ireland’s dedicated student accommodation website, providing a reliable, conveniently accessible, nationwide and up-to-date accommodation database that is 100% tailored to this letting market. With the help of CollegeCribs.ie, students can now search, find and view accommodation from all over Ireland. The search facilities allow students to search by city or college, and even for houses with high-speed internet access or washing machines. An interactive map locator also allows the student to see the location of the property in relation to the college and its distance from. Using the detailed descriptions and pictures, comparing and judging houses have never been easier, and all this through the ease and convenience that the Internet offers.

Specifically designed for the student accommodation market, the website helps to bring together landlords and students by providing a centralised hub of such accommodation throughout Ireland. CollegeCribs.ie allows landlords to advertise their property through a dedicated advertising medium, with standard advertising on CollegeCribs.ie being free of charge. Helpful features include a listing management area, easy uploading of data and pictures, performance tracking, a direct contact to the student market and much more. The company believes that its reach is far superior to any other source because it reaches the largest percentage of their target market, college students, and because they are more focused than any other source, they are able to provide a higher quality service at a lower price.

CollegeCribs.ie is geared towards every student, be it first year students looking for their first home-away-from-home, older students trying to find a new house with a broadband internet access, or the international student struggling to find accommodation anywhere near the college. With the creation of CollegeCribs.ie students now have free access to a national accommodation database targeted towards their needs.