Cork students losing deposits on housing that doesn’t exist

Cork students have lost deposits on properties that did not exist, a representative of housing charity Threshold has said.

National housing charity Threshold has partnered with the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) and Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (Amlé) for a Scamwatch campaign to raise awareness of rental scams and help students protect themselves when searching for accommodation.

The annual campaign launches as thousands of students begin searching for accommodation ahead of the new academic year.

Limited availability, rising costs, and the pressure to secure accommodation quickly can leave students more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated scams.

Jerry Killingbeck, housing advisor at Threshold’s Cork office, said: “I deal with a lot of calls from people who have fallen victim to rental scams, and international students can be particularly vulnerable.

“Many are trying to secure accommodation from overseas and have little opportunity to view a property or establish whether the person advertising it is genuine.

“I’ve spoken to students who have lost deposits on properties that didn’t exist, as well as others who arrived to find accommodation in a completely different condition to what was advertised.”

As part of the campaign, Threshold has developed a dedicated Scamwatch toolkit to help support student unions, accommodation officers and others who are working directly with student renters.

Student accommodation crisis

Daniel Walsh, president at Amlé said: “Over the coming weeks, thousands of first-year students and their families will begin their search for accommodation and will be immediately confronted with the depth of the student accommodation crisis.

“This environment can create a sense of urgency, pushing students to enter more precarious rental agreements, and leaving them vulnerable to scammers.

Orla Lehane, acting executive director at ICOS, added that international students can be particularly vulnerable as they often begin searching before arriving in Ireland so can’t view properties in person, and are often unfamiliar with the rental market here.

She said: “We would strongly encourage students not to transfer money simply because they are afraid of losing an accommodation offer.

“Take the time to verify who you are dealing with, ask questions and seek advice if anything seems unclear or suspicious.”