Student accommodation in Dublin: digs, house shares and residences
Renting a room in Dublin as a student: the options, what they cost, when to look, and how to avoid the scams aimed at students.
- Student accommodation near your college
- Near Trinity College Dublin
- Near DCU
- Near UCD
- Digs in Dublin
- Rent Tax Credit for renters, students and parents
- RTB – students: tenancy or licence
- Daft.ie Rental Report, Q1 2026
- An Garda Síochána – student fraud warning, 25 Aug 2026
- Revenue – Rent Tax Credit for a property used by your child
- Trinity College Dublin – accommodation
Your three main options
Student residences (purpose-built student accommodation), run by colleges or private companies. These are tenancies registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) on their own register.
A room in a house share with other students or workers. If the landlord doesn't live there, this is usually a tenancy covered by the Residential Tenancies Acts.
Digs: a room in someone's home, often Monday to Friday, going home at weekends. This is a licence, not a tenancy, so what you agree with the owner matters most. Digs are often cheaper and can include some meals.
What it costs
In early 2026, a double room in a house in Dublin averaged €914 a month and a single room without an ensuite about €720–€830, depending on the area (Daft.ie, Q1 2026). Digs are usually priced by the week or for five nights. The StayLister rent guide shows live prices.
Parents who pay rent for a student on an approved course, including digs, may be able to claim the Rent Tax Credit. See our Rent Tax Credit guide.
When to look
Residences open bookings early in the year and fill fast. Most rooms in house shares and digs are advertised from June to September, with a peak around the CAO offers in late August. Gardaí say August to October is also the peak time for accommodation fraud, so take extra care then.
If you miss the first wave, keep a saved search running: rooms come free in September when plans change, and again around the new year.
Choosing an area
Look along a direct line to your campus rather than just nearby. Drumcondra, Glasnevin and Santry for DCU; Rathmines, Ranelagh, Donnybrook and Milltown for UCD; anywhere near the Luas or a DART station for Trinity; Phibsborough, Cabra and Stoneybatter for TU Dublin Grangegorman.
StayLister has a page for each college with rooms within 10 km, and you can check the trip time from any ad to your campus.
Scams aimed at students
Up to 31 July 2026, Gardaí had over 230 reports of rental and reservation scams this year, with losses over €400,000. The usual stories: the landlord is abroad and will post the keys, the "host" shows the place to many people and takes deposits from all of them, or the keys don't work when you arrive.
Never pay before you have viewed in person and tried the keys, never pay in cash, crypto or by money-transfer apps, and be wary of anyone who will only talk on Messenger or WhatsApp. Our guide on checking a landlord is real has the full checklist.
Common questions
Is digs a good option for students in Dublin?
Often, yes. Digs is usually cheaper than a house share, the owner lives there, and Monday-to-Friday digs suit students who go home at weekends. You are a licensee, so agree the days, price, what's included and the notice in writing.
When should I start looking for student accommodation in Dublin?
Residences early in the year; house shares and digs from June, with most ads between July and September. Set up alerts so you hear about new rooms straight away.
Can my parents claim tax back on my rent?
Parents paying rent for a child on an approved course may be able to claim the Rent Tax Credit, including for digs, if the conditions are met (for example the child was under 23 when they started the course and the landlord isn't a relative). Revenue has the full conditions.