The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called for more rights for students in 'digs' accommodation and has said tax relief should only be provided to householders who rent out rooms in their homes if the accommodation meets minimum standards to be set out in legislation.
In a submission to the Government's Review of the Private Residential Sector, the USI has also called for a definition of what constitutes 'affordable’ student accommodation.
The union has also called for a rent freeze to be introduced until rent inflation stabilises.
In its submission, the union said that the serious issues with student accommodation are critically and negatively affecting the student experience in Ireland.
The union said these issues include the failure of the current National Student Accommodation Strategy, the complete lack of rights for those living in digs or rent-a-room situations, and the heavy reliance on the private sector "which has not met the affordability and security of tenure needs of students".
USI Vice President for Campaigns Zaid Al-Barghouthi said the voice of students had to be heard in the review "as the rental sector and students are inextricably linked".
"The student accommodation sector is in crisis, but there are solutions that Government can take on board to help address this crisis, and we lay out the most urgent of them in this submission," he said.
"Students are paying extortionate prices for accommodation, while living in situations that either don’t fit their needs or are far beyond what they need such as in the case of the luxury student accommodation that has been built in many cities, which most students could never dream of affording."
The USI has also called called for a strict definition of what counts as 'affordability' when it comes to the Government providing funding to higher education institutions for such accommodation.
It wants legislation which will introduce minimum standards, minimum notice periods, and protections for tenants in digs or rent-a-room schemes, and says that landlords should only be given the rent breaks when those conditions are met.
