STUDENTS hit by the recession are opting to commute to University of Limerick from outlying areas rather than stay in private rented accommodation, resulting in vacant houses and apartments in the greater Castletroy area. According to sources, new third level students from Limerick have given preference to studying in their own city over other institutions, enabling them to live at home and cut costs.
Almost a month into the academic year, many houses and apartments in proximity to the University of Limerick still lay idle.
Rose Merrigan, accommodation executive at UL, said: “More students seem to be commuting from places such as Ennis and Nenagh…many are car-pooling”. It is noted that all accommodation on campus continues to be fully booked.
Across the city, LIT Student’s Union administrator, Lily Goggin, said she had not noticed change in demand. “We operate a database using a referral system for students so we can get feedback from tenants and landlords. All of the properties on our database have been filled again this year”.
She agreed that many mature students in the college were commuting, while locals travel from home.
Ms Merrigan confirmed that the uptake of private rented student accomodation around UL had decreased.
“There are vacancies now where there normally wouldn’t have been in previous years. Many landlords are calling to ensure that their names are are the list”.
The increase in commuter traffic to the University, which has a student population of 12,000, has caused a problem with traffic congestion.
One staff member said: “Some evenings it takes almost a half an hour to get out of the University because there is so much traffic. Many staff don’t leave the campus for lunch during the academic year because when they return. it will be impossible to find a car space”.
However, Rose Merrigan believes this situation may change after Christmas.
“Its fine for the first few weeks in college if you are travelling up and down. However, doing this for a few months, and staying late in the library to study, can prove very difficult”.
She also feels that landlords are now under more pressure to provide a higher standard of accomodation.
“Students are far more discerning now than before. They expect all the trappings, and broadband is important… it has put pressure on landlords to invest in their accommodation, which is great”.
