Student rents are continuing to fall year on year in Athlone.
According to the latest snapshot of student rents across the country from property website Daft.ie, the average student rent has fallen by almost 7 per cent in the past year.
The rental price for a single room now stands at €208 per month, a drop of 6.7 per cent from the previous year.
However prices for double rooms remain stable, with the average price for a double now €265, less than 1 per cent down from last year.
For those students looking to rent a house with their friends, the average rental price for a three-bedroom house is €680 - down 0.6 per cent on last year - while the price for a four-bed has increased by 3.2 per cent to €742.
When compared with other student towns, Athlone is at the lower end of the spectrum. In Maynooth, for example, a single room will set a student back €280, while a three-bedroom house costs an average of €1,004 per month.
Single-room rents are cheaper only in Castlebar (€193 ) and Letterkenny (€174 ), while the most expensive single rooms are in Dublin City Centre for €433.
Overall in Westmeath, average rents increased slightly by 0.8 per cent to €568 in the past year.
Nationally, rents were 4.2 per cent higher on average in the second quarter of 2013 than a year previously. Rents have consistently risen for the past four quarters.
