Seventy-Eight percent of Irish students are worried about their ability to pay for their accommodation ahead of the new academic year, new research has revealed. National housing charity Threshold, together with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), today published their Student Housing Survey for 2020. The survey found that 45% of students have been asked to pay more than one month’s rent as a security deposit for their accommodation, and 21% of those surveyed have been asked to pay a startling four months rent or more in advance. "This cost is of course out of reach for many, and "significantly impacts the ability of students to compete for accommodation," Threshold says. The practice of looking for more than one month’s rent upfront can leave students in "a very difficult situation," said USI President, Lorna Fitzpatrick.

Source: Irish Examiner September 10, 2020 13:27 UTC