Majority of Irish universities hike on-campus accommodation costs for new academic year

Most Irish universities are raising on-campus accommodation costs for the upcoming academic year, with many increasing rents by nearly the legal maximum allowed under current regulations. The changes, effective from the 2026/2027 academic year, affect both the cheapest and most expensive rooms available across multiple institutions. University of Galway (UoG) and Maynooth University have both implemented rent hikes close to the 2 per cent annual cap permitted by residential laws. At UoG, the lowest-cost option, a single bed in a twin room, will cost €3,316, representing a 1.78 per cent increase from the previous year. The most expensive room, a double-plus en suite in Dunlin Village, will cost €8,086, up 1.98 per cent. Meanwhile, Maynooth University's cheapest on-campus room will cost €4,856, while the most expensive will be €6,480, reflecting a 1.99 per cent increase. At University College Dublin (UCD), the most expensive on-campus accommodation, an en suite bedroom in Village 3, has risen to €11,990. The cheapest room, a shared bedroom in the village, will cost €5,771, an increase of approximately €50 from last year’s price. Trinity College Dublin noted some year-on-year price increases, though a spokeswoman explained that direct comparisons were difficult due to variations in the number of nights covered in different academic years. Not all universities include additional mandatory fees or service charges in their base rent. For instance, Dublin City University (DCU) and UoG do not bundle these into their advertised rates. This distinction became a point of contention last year after an Irish Times investigation revealed that total monthly payments for DCU on-campus accommodation had risen by nearly 7 per cent due to service fees outside the scope of rent restrictions. Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless expressed concern over this practice, stating in a letter to DCU president Prof Dáire Keogh that the fee increase did not align with the spirit of the law regarding Rent Pressure Zones. In response, DCU indicated that its service charges for the upcoming year will range from €92.71 to €118.52 per month, based on a cost-recovery model tied to market conditions rather than institutional decisions. At UoG, a fixed utilities rate of €450 to €600 is paid upfront at the beginning of the academic year, though this could vary depending on individual apartment consumption. A spokesperson noted that if a student’s usage exceeded the prepaid amount, they would need to cover the difference, with any surplus refunded at the end of the term. Other universities have adopted varied strategies regarding service charges, which can include utilities, waste management, security, and other building-related expenses. UCD, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University of Limerick, University College Cork, and Maynooth all include these mandatory charges in their advertised rent. However, Maynooth has raised its service and utility charge from a one-time payment of €650 last year to €700 for the upcoming year, marking a slight increase of over 7 per cent. When combined with the base rent, this would result in an overall monthly rent increase exceeding the 2 per cent cap. A Maynooth University spokesperson stated that the increase in service and utility charges reflects rising operational costs faced by the institution. They added that the €50 increase per year accounts for these changing expenses. Ty Layberry-Ling, president of Maynooth Student Union, emphasized that every additional cost associated with attending university contributes to the financial strain felt by students and their families. In response to concerns over universities potentially circumventing rent controls through inflated service charges, Labour Party Senator Laura Harmon introduced the Residential Tenancies (Student Rent) Bill earlier this week. The proposed legislation seeks to address this issue by requiring universities to include all service and utility charges in the base rent, thereby preventing them from using these fees to bypass existing rent control measures.