Housing scams and shortage causing students to drop out and harming Ireland's reputation, advocate says 

A NUMBER of international students are being left with no option but to abandon their education after being left homeless by the latest rental scams sweeping the country.

Cork woman Laura Harmon, who is the executive director of the Irish Council for International Students, said students attending UCC and MTU have been among those falling prey to both cruel scams and unscrupulous landlords.

The ICIS has been receiving calls from distressed students who say they have been left with no option but to drop out of their courses as a result of the accommodation crisis. Fraudsters capitalising on the desperation of students are said to be aggravating the situation and affecting victims’ mental health.

“Students have paid deposits for properties that didn’t exist,” Ms Harmon said. “The accommodation crisis for students has existed for over a decade but this is certainly our worst year to date. There has been a 30% increase in rental scams being reported. 

"There are fraudsters preying on vulnerable people online who resort to social media.

“[Students] are entering into conversations with fraudsters who think they can make a quick buck from vulnerable students.”

She spoke of how international students are particularly vulnerable to fraud.

“The fact that English isn’t their first language makes the student very vulnerable. They are not used to the accommodation situation in Ireland so don’t know what to expect.

“This is having an impact on Ireland’s reputation as a study destination abroad. This is worrying because international students are very important to our education system. Not only do they enrich it culturally, they also contribute to Ireland’s economy.” 

Ms Harmon said universities have been extremely supportive of international students.

“It has to be said that there are a lot of students who have a very positive experience. 

"This is not the fault of the colleges, who have fantastic international officers striving to provide the best experience for both international and domestic students.”

She warned the situation is spiralling out of control. “We’re seeing this crisis worsen year on year. The Government published a student accommodation strategy in 2017 but there has been no update since 2019. This is not going to be solved overnight because we are in so deep. However, the reality is that students are being left in extremely vulnerable situations. This is having a huge impact on their mental health.”

Ms Harmon is calling on the Government to take more action to tackle the crisis.

“Students are staying in hostels and overcrowded accommodation. It’s not uncommon-considering their tight budgets- to have four English students to one room. It’s been extremely damaging for the reputation of the country abroad.”