Glossary and FAQ

Glossary

• Adjacent / non-adjacent rate: SUSI maintenance rates. Adjacent when the college is "less than 30km" from your normal residence; non-adjacent at "30km or more" (SUSI wording).
• AMLE: Aontas na Mac Leinn in Eirinn, the student union body named as a partner in Threshold's Scamwatch 2026 toolkit.
• CAO: Central Applications Office.
• DARE / HEAR: access routes giving reduced-points places. Neither gives accommodation priority.
• Digs / Rent-a-Room: a room in the owner's home under a licence; outside the RTB.
• Licence: permission to occupy a room, with fewer rights than a tenancy.
• PBSA: purpose-built student accommodation. Usually SSA.
• PSRA: Property Services Regulatory Authority; licenses letting agents.
• RPZ: Rent Pressure Zone; replaced by a national system of rent control from 1 March 2026 (RTB), although an RTB page still refers to a 24-month rule in recently designated areas.
• RTB: Residential Tenancies Board.
• SAF: Student Assistance Fund.
• SSA: student-specific accommodation, housing used solely for students during the academic term or year.
• SUSI: Student Universal Support Ireland.
• TMD: Tenancy of Minimum Duration; new private tenancies from 1 March 2026 last 6 years (Citizens Information). Not available in SSA.
• ISD / IRP: Immigration Service Delivery / Irish Residence Permit.

FAQ

How much deposit can I be asked for? No more than 1 month's rent. You also cannot be asked for more than 1 month's rent in advance (SSA exception where rent and tuition are paid to the same provider).

How long can a student licence or tenancy be? Should not exceed 41 weeks unless you ask for longer.

Can I leave early? In fixed-term SSA, from 1 May to 1 October for any reason with 28 days' notice. SSA tenants generally give 28 days' notice.

Is rent capped? Increases are limited to once a year, by 2% or inflation, whichever is lower (RTB, from 1 March 2026). New apartments and SSA with construction commenced from 10 June 2025 follow CPI with no 2% cap.

Do I need my landlord registered? Yes, for tenancies and SSA; check the RTB register. Digs with a live-in individual landlord do not need registration.

Which SUSI rate applies if I rent near college? SUSI measures from your normal residence: your parents' permanent or home address if you are a dependent student, your own permanent or home address if independent. See file 03.

What is the student contribution? EUR 2,500 in 2026/27. SUSI's fee grant can pay it, and SUSI has a EUR 500 student-contribution grant band for household income up to EUR 120,000 (fewer than 4 dependants). 2027/28 not published.

When does CAO close? 1 February 2027 (5pm); EUR 35 fee before 20 January 2027; EUR 50 after.

Can my parents claim the Rent Tax Credit? Yes, conditions apply (approved course, child under 23 at the start of the tax year in which they first began one, no family link to the landlord, enough income tax liability). Up to EUR 1,000 single, EUR 2,000 jointly assessed for 2024-2028.

Does DARE get me a room? No. Citizens Information: DARE does not directly provide housing or accommodation.

Does FSD pay for accommodation? No.

Do I need a TV licence? EUR 160 a year; any premises with a television needs one and each apartment needs its own (TV Licence FAQ).

How do I get half-price travel? Young Adult Leap Card (19-25) or Student Leap Card (full-time students aged 16-18 or 26+). EUR 5 refundable deposit plus EUR 5 minimum credit. Irish Rail accepts these cards for student/young adult fares.

Who helps if I am at risk of homelessness? Threshold (1800 454 454), your college accommodation or welfare office, and Focus Ireland's Extension Service for ages 18-26 (01 881 5900).

Is Budget 2027 going to change any of this? Budget 2027 will be announced on Tuesday 6 October 2026 (Citizens Information). Figures here are pre-Budget; recheck after.

Is there a national plan to build student beds? The National Student Accommodation Strategy (gov.ie) targets 42,000 student beds by 2035 against an existing deficit of 15,000 beds. It includes nomination agreements, a Short Term Activation Programme delivering almost 1,000 beds (30% at discounted rents, EUR 110 million), a reduced 9% VAT rate on PBSA sales, and Rent a Room as a potential immediate source of supply. The release says Preliminary Business Cases will be progressed in 2026; it gives no date for beds to open, so none is stated.

Official sources

• https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-further-and-higher-education-research-innovation-and-science/press-releases/national-student-accommodation-strategy-to-support-delivery-of-42000-student-beds/
• https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/budgets/budget-2027/
• https://threshold.ie/
• https://www.focusireland.ie/get-help/extension/
• https://about.leapcard.ie/about/tfi-leap-card-types/student
• https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/rail-fares-and-tickets/students
• https://www.tvlicence.ie/home/general-faqs.html
• plus the sources listed in files 02 to 07