University College Cork has appealed to private landlords to reduce rents, warning that some properties close to the university are remaining vacant because asking prices are too high.
According to the Irish Examiner, UCC president Professor John O’Halloran said the university has contacted a number of landlords in Cork City as it tries to address a shortage of affordable student accommodation.
The university has identified properties within walking distance of its campus where vacancy rates are understood to be as high as 40%.
Prof O’Halloran said some landlords had already responded by reducing rents for students.
“We want the private market to have price structure to make it affordable for our students,” he said.
“We would argue that rooms are not being filled and this is costing them [the owners]. Our office of accommodation has already reached out successfully to some of these private owners who have discounted rents [for students].”
UCC currently provides accommodation for around 1,600 students, with weekly rents ranging from €105 to €236 depending on the age and facilities available.
However, demand for university accommodation continues to exceed supply, with the college planning to increase its own accommodation capacity to approximately 2,000 students.
The expansion could include purchasing privately owned properties close to the university and developing underused sections of existing university buildings. Income generated from the accommodation would be reinvested in maintaining and improving the university’s housing stock.
The shortage of affordable accommodation has also led to more students commuting long distances to Cork each day. Students are travelling from areas including West Cork, North Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford because rental costs in the city have become unaffordable for many.
Prof O’Halloran described the accommodation shortage as a major concern.
“The lack of affordable student accommodation is a really big issue for us,” he said.
UCC currently has approximately 27,000 students and 3,700 staff, with the university president highlighting the scale of the community.
“In fact, UCC is currently the 14th largest settlement in the country,” he said.
The university is also seeking improvements to public transport to make commuting easier for students.
UCC, Munster Technological University and Cork Education and Training Board have submitted a proposal to the Department of Transport seeking better bus connectivity.
“UCC, MTU [Munster Technological University], and Cork ETB [Education and Training Board] have put a proposal to the Department of Transport to provide better bus connectivity,” Prof O’Halloran said.
“We have not yet received a positive reply from the department on this, but we’ll hopefully convince them.”
Students commuting from East Cork, Fermoy and West Cork have previously raised concerns about unreliable bus services, with some reporting that they have arrived late for lectures.
UCC has students from more than 150 countries, accounting for approximately 21% of its total student population. Prof O’Halloran said the largest international student groups are from India, China and the United States.
The university has grown considerably since its first intake of 115 students in 1849, when it had 23 staff members.
“It took nearly 100 years to get student numbers above the 1,000 mark,” Prof O’Halloran said.
UCC is now estimated to contribute approximately €1.2 billion to the Irish economy annually and supports thousands of jobs directly and indirectly in Cork.
