With students returning to college this week, NUI Galway Students’ Union has issued an urgent appeal to anyone with a spare room to consider renting it to NUI Galway students this year.
Under the 'Rent a Room' scheme, landlords can potentially earn up to €12,000 per annum tax-free by renting a room. The option is also available to just rent a room for one semester to a visiting student, which allows for uncertain homeowners to trial the scheme before committing to a long-term arrangement.
Students’ Union president Jimmy McGovern said, "The lack of accommodation here in Galway city has now become a serious issue putting access to education at risk for many students. We are inundated with queries from students looking for accommodation. In particular, there is a huge amount of visiting students that will just be attending NUI Galway for one semester, September to December, or January to May, who are desperately in need of accommodation. We would encourage anyone with a spare room to strongly consider renting to a student as soon as possible."
There are various options available to those wishing to rent a room to students, including the option of digs where meals can be provided or just a straight-forward rental agreement. Rooms for rent can be advertised for free on the university’s accommodation website, http://www.nuigstudentpad.ie/Landlords/Charges.
