Accommodation
- Details
- Category: Welfare
- Published on Tuesday, 12 August 2008 11:47
Here's where to find tips and advice on looking for accommodation, signing the lease, problems which may arise as well as insurance, rent and bills. If you need advice on accommodation issues you can drop into the SU for a chat. Click on the heading below to take you to the relevant section.
Download the college's housing list here (Click on the Private Rented Accomodation link)
- Where to Live
- Accommodation Checklist
- MIC Accommodation Office
- What To Consider When Looking For Accommodation
- Tips To Remember When Viewing
- Signing The Lease
- Other Things To Take Into Account
- Problems With Your Accommodation
- Rent
- TV Licence
- Insurance
- Bills
- Repairs
If you've decided to live away from home while going to Mary I, you have a few options open to you. Your budget and finances will have the largest impact on your choice of accommodation but so will the type of person you are. Around MIC you have a number of accommodation choices. Your options are:
- Residence Block (Girls only - Tends to be for first years) - On campus - website
- Courtbrack - Purpose build for students & owned by Mary I. 4min walk to college - website
- Ashdown - Apartment acc. which is 3 mins walk from college - website
- City campus - this is 10 - 15 mins from the college. It's close to the city centre and is apartment acc. - website
- Fitzhaven - House acc. which is also 3 - 5 mins walk from the colleg.
- Castlewell - House acc. which is 5 mins from the college.
Application forms for the Residence Block and Courtbrack can be accessed here.
MIC Student Services have compiled a list of suitable properties near the college which can be rented. This can be accessed here.
If you want to find out more about accommodation near MIC, you can contact the Accommodation Officer in Student services, MIC on 061-204921.
It's also worth checking the local newspapers, for example, The Limerick Leader, The Limerick Post, the Limerick Independent, and The Limerick Chronicle.
Also, various accommodation websites are also worth checking. You should find the following useful:
However, don’t forget that when you are renting a house or any form of accommodation to check out if ESB, heating, water charges, bins and any other charges are included in the rent. Some student villages take a lump sum at the start of each semester and this lump sum includes bills.
You Can also find individual rooms at www.getdigs.ie
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Every year students run into the same problems with accommodation so we just have a few pointers here which we hope are helpful.
· Don't panic and take the first place you look at.
· Try to get to meet your new flat mates before deciding to move in.
For private rented accommodation it is normal for the landlord to ask for one month rent as a deposit & one month rent in advance. Rent is normally due monthly in advance.
For students who find accommodation from the college accommodation list, the landlords should be using a standard Memorandum of Agreement Lease.
Signing the Lease:
The lease is the legal agreement between the landlord and you the tenant. It is a legal document and once it is signed it can’t be fixed later if you have forgotten something.
The lease should include the following details
· The price per week/month including any extra bills and charges as well as how these will be paid
· The amount which has been paid as a deposit and the condition of return of the deposit
· The length of time the property will be leased for as well as the period of notice
· For a lease to be valid, both parties must sign it.
N.B. All parties should sign the lease and have their own copy of the lease in case of a falling out with housemates.
If you decide to rent a property and do not sign an agreement with the Landlord in relation to the terms of your rental, you will be in an extremely vulnerable position if things go wrong. Verbal agreements will not help you to get your deposit back if it all goes wrong.
The P.R.T.B, (Private Residential Tenancies Board) is the arbitrator in disputes which may arise between Landlords & Tenants. The Students Union will refer you to this body in the event of a dispute.
Other things to take into account & ask the Landlord:
· Does each person pay the rent separately or do you pay a fixed amount for the house?
· What happens if one flatmate leaves?
· Make sure that the landlord gives you a list of what's in the flat and anything that needs to be repaired BEFORE you move in.
· Ask for receipts for the deposit and all the rent you pay
When viewing a place you should remember the following:
· Check for signs of dampness
· Check that all the windows open
· Check the heating, find out what type it is, if it works and if it is included in the rent
· Check the property has a smoke alarm
· If the property is presented for viewing in a bad condition e.g. untidy, dirty or you see mouse traps etc. beware as this is probably the condition you will receive it in
· Make sure the property comes with internal fittings and furniture such as beds, fridges & cookers
· Never rent a property and pay a deposit without viewing it first.
· Bring somebody with you when you view the property. Make sure you bring a notepad and a pen and make notes as you view the property.
Off Campus College Student Accommodation:
If you decide to live in one of the student villages, City Campus, Ashdown, Courtbrack, Clontarf Place, Alphonsus Court etc. we would advise you to pay per semester, not for the full year in advance.
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The MIC Accommodation Officer is Florence Cleary and she is based in Student Services (room 112). Her conatct number is (061) 204503
Other useful contacts in accomodation are:
www.threshold.ie
www.citizensinformation.ie
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What To Consider When Looking For Accommodation
In order to get a place you are happy with you should consider some of the following:
- Location is an important factor and the nearer your accommodation is to Mary I, the easier it will be for you!
- Decide how much rent you can afford to pay so that you don’t end up looking at accommodation you can’t afford.
- Check out the local newspapers for the area you’re moving to.
- When you have a list of potential places, decide what information you need to know and call the landlord.
- Don’t panic and take the first place you look at.
- Try to get to meet your new flatmates before deciding to move in.
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When Viewing A Place You Should Remember The Following:
- Check for signs of dampness
- Check that all the windows open
- Check the heating, find out what type it is, if it works and if it is included in the rent
- Check the property has a smoke alarm
- If the property is presented for viewing in a bad condition e.g. untidy, dirty or you see mouse traps etc. beware as this is probably the condition you will receive it in
- Make sure the property comes with internal fittings & furniture such as beds, fridges & cookers
- Never rent a property and pay a deposit without viewing it first.
- Bring somebody with you when you view the property. Make sure you bring a notepad and a pen and make notes as you view the property.
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The lease is the legal agreement between the landlord and you the tenant. It is a legal document and once it is signed it can’t be fixed later if you have forgotten something. The lease should include the following details:
- The price per week/month including any extra bills and charges as well as how these will be paid
- The amount which has been paid as a deposit and the condition of return of the deposit
- The length of time the property will be leased for as well as the period of notice
- For a lease to be valid, both parties must sign it.N.B. All parties should sign the lease and have their own copy of the lease in case of a falling out with housemates.
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Other Things To Take Into Account
- Does each person pay the rent separately or do you pay a fixed amount for the house?
- What happens if one flatmate leaves?
- Make sure that the landlord gives you a list of what’s in the flat and anything that needs to be repaired BEFORE you move in.
- Ask for receipts for the deposit and all the rent you pay.
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Problems With Your Accommodation
The Students’ Union deals with many students who have problems with their rented accommodation. Sometimes these problems arise because the student does not have a copy of their lease for the property and they are unsure of their own rights and obligations as well as those of their landlord.
The Students’ Union in conjunction with the Accommodation Office in the College has asked all landlords on the College List for 2010/11 to use the Memorandum of Agreement. It is very important that you read this agreement and understand your obligations as a tenant.
Attention should be paid to any special conditions, and ensure that the inventory of furniture and fittings is correct and complete. Also remember that all of the tenants are entitled to sign the lease and not just one! If you decide to rent a property and do not sign any agreement with the Landlord in relation to the terms of your rental, you will be in an extremely vulnerable position if things go wrong. Verbal agreements will not help you to get your deposit back if it all goes wrong.
The Private Residential Tenancies Board (P.R.T.B) is the arbitrator in disputes which may arise between Landlords & Tenants and the Students’ Union will refer you to this body in the event of a dispute. The P.R.T.B. will not arbitrate on behalf of tenants who have verbal agreements – You must have a written contract!!
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If you decide to rent a house for the year, rent will vary from house to house. A private rented single room in a 3 bedroom house is approx. €50- €75 weekly / €200- €300 monthly.
Rent should be per calendar month. Some landlords use a method of calculating rent weekly by dividing the monthly rent by 4. This will cost you more money!!!I f the rent for a house is €1000 per month, and the landlord offers to collect it weekly in instalments of €250 per week, that’s ok? NO!! Multiply the monthly rent by 12 (months) - €1000 x 12 =€12000 and divide by 52 (weeks) = €230.76. This is your weekly rent! Rent books are a statutory entitlement – available from the Students’ Union Office & An Siopa – GET ONE AND USE IT. Record all money transactions in your rent book including your deposit.
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It is almost always up to the tenant to pay for the TV licence, not the Landlord. If you have a television or equipment capable of receiving a television signal, you are required by law to have a television licence. Even if the television or other equipment is broken and currently unable to receive a signal, it is regarded as capable of being repaired so it can receive a signal and you must hold a licence for it. Failure to produce evidence of a television licence to an inspector can result in a court appearance and on conviction, you can receive a substantial fine. People who have been fined and who have breached court orders directing them to pay their television licence can be imprisoned.
You do not require a television licence to watch television on your computer or mobile phone. However, you do require a licence if the computer is used together with any other apparatus to receive a signal.
A television licence is issued for one year after which it must be renewed again.
The TV licence currently costs €160 euro and you can buy one in any Post Office or online at www.tvlicence.ie
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Your landlord is responsible for insuring the property and his possessions within that property. Everything else i.e. your stuff is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! Ask your parents if you can insure your belongings in your rented accommodation under the house insurance policy at home, customers of Bank of Ireland Home Insurance for example have this option. Remember – Just 10 CD’s alone are worth approx. €150 - €200 – what about your clothes, personal accessories, stereo, laptop, bike. Give a little time and energy to insuring your belongings, student houses are often a target for burglars, especially if you have housemates who forget/lose their keys and leave a window or door unlocked.
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Bills should be in the tenants i.e.: your names. Share out the responsibility for bills if possible, have one persons name for the ESB bill, one for Bord Gais, and so on. Usually the bin charges are the tenant’s responsibility.
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If the landlord agrees to do repairs, get him/ her to write this down and sign it. (You could insert a page into the back of your rent book for this purpose). If he/she says that this is unnecessary be firm and polite and insist on a written undertaking that the work will be done. If you require any further information call into the Student Union office in G33c, e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 061-400013. Our office is open throughout the summer months and we are available to help with any accommodation queries you may have. We have a wide range of information available in leaflet form on tenant / landlord rights, and the PRTB.
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