Housing Crisis in Ireland: Real Stories from International Students and Migrants

Housing Crisis in Ireland: Real Stories from International Students and Migrants

“It’s very expensive, disheartening and demotivating, especially for an international student.”

That is how Indian student Adil Faiyaz Sayyad describes his experience of trying to find housing in Ireland.

For thousands of international students and migrants, Ireland represents opportunity. The country is known for its universities, growing economy, and welcoming international community. Every year, people arrive with hopes of studying, working, and building a new life.

But for many, the first real challenge is not academic or professional.

It is finding a home.

Ireland’s housing crisis has become one of the country’s most serious social issues. Rising rents, limited housing supply, and intense competition have made accommodation extremely difficult, especially in cities like Dublin.

A Housing Market Under Pressure

Ireland’s population has grown steadily in recent years, but housing supply has not kept pace.

In major cities such as Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Limerick, rental properties often receive dozens of applications within hours of being listed.

For newcomers, the challenge is even greater. Many international students and migrants arrive without local references, rental history, or strong networks in the country. As a result, housing often becomes their first major struggle in Ireland.

Caption: Katie Kerr, an international student from the United States.

“Housing was nearly impossible to find in Dublin”

Katie Kerr (United States, Philadelphia) describes her experience as extremely difficult.

“In my experience, housing was nearly impossible to find in Dublin,” she says. “There is a huge competition for housing because we are in the capital city of a small country.”

She explains that finding accommodation often depends on timing and connections.

“Finding housing here is very much based on having connections or getting lucky, which ended up being the case for me.”

For Katie, the financial pressure is constant.

“As an international student, I don’t have the time to work full-time. Rent in Dublin city centre is typically over €1,000, and even outside the centre you can still pay around €800. I am constantly stressed about money.”

She describes her experience as:

“Exciting but extremely stressful.”

Caption: Rebecca Carbone, an international student from Italy.

“Stressful, but manageable if you plan ahead”

Rebecca Carbone (Italy) says her experience has been difficult but manageable.

“At the beginning, everything felt very fast and competitive,” she explains.

She was able to secure accommodation before arriving but says moving later is much harder.

“There are many applicants for every place, and you need to act very quickly.”

She also highlights the financial pressure of rent.

“Rent takes a big part of your monthly budget. Everything becomes more expensive when housing is expensive.”

Her advice to new students is simple:

“Start early and connect with people already living here. It makes a big difference.”

She describes her experience in one sentence:

“Stressful at times, but manageable if you plan ahead.”

Caption: Adil Faiyaz Sayyad, an international student from India.

“Even community support can be complicated”

Adil Faiyaz Sayyad (India) arrived in Ireland in August 2025.

His first housing experience was relatively smooth due to personal connections.

“I was lucky to secure accommodation through contacts,” he says.

However, his second search became much more difficult.

“It was difficult to trust people while I was still in India. Fortunately, I had friends in Ireland who helped by visiting apartments for me.”

He also highlights discrimination within housing communities.

“I found that some Indian landlords preferred vegetarian tenants only. As an Indian student, you usually rely on your community for support, but this makes the process more difficult.”

Financial pressure is another challenge.

“I am on a Stamp 2 visa, which limits working hours. Many employers are reluctant to hire students because of that. If you live far from the city, it also affects your job opportunities.”

His advice is:

“Build a network and look for housing as a group.”

He summarises his experience as:

“It’s very expensive, disheartening and demotivating, especially for an international student.”

Caption: Rasmit Singh, a DCU international student from Malaysia.

Rasmit Singh is an international student from Malaysia currently studying in Ireland.

He says finding accommodation in Ireland was difficult, and he was only able to secure housing through on-campus accommodation at Dublin City University (DCU).

“I managed to get on-campus accommodation with DCU, but it’s not been cheap at €1100 per month with rent and service charges,” he says.

He explains that while student housing is convenient during term time, it has its limitations.

“It’s been very convenient when I have classes, but not so much when I’m looking at internships and everything around that.”

Why Housing Matters Beyond Rent

Housing is not only about accommodation. It affects nearly every part of life for newcomers.

Students without stable housing may face long commutes, financial pressure, and difficulty focusing on studies. Migrants may struggle to settle, build relationships, and integrate into their new environment.

For many, housing becomes the first real test of life in Ireland.

Ireland continues to attract students and migrants from all over the world because of its education system, job opportunities, and welcoming environment.

However, the housing crisis remains a major barrier.

The experiences of Adil, Rebecca, Katie, and Rasmit show a shared reality: finding housing in Ireland is competitive, expensive, and often emotionally challenging.

Behind the statistics are real people trying to study, work, and build a future in a new country.