Reinvestment and refurbishment have been cited as the main reasons behind this year’s increase in accommodation on-campus and in Trinity Hall, with rooms in Goldsmith and twin ensuite rooms in Trinity Hall seeing the biggest increases.
These increases come after rates increased last year, with rooms in Front Square, New Square and Botany Bay, which are grouped in the same price range, seeing the largest increase at 11 per cent. This year the rate, which includes utilities cost, increased by 8.8 per cent, from €6,588.22 for 2016/17 to €7167.42 for the 2017/18 year.
This year, the price for a twin room in a Trinity Hall apartment saw the largest increase at 9.8 per cent, with such a room costing €5397.11. Last year, the price of these rooms increased by 3.2 per cent compared to the year before.
A single room in a Trinity Hall apartment now costs €6836.99, a 7.6 per cent increase compared to last year.
Rooms in Goldsmith saw the second-largest price increase overall, with the 2017/18 rate of €6565.48 a nine per cent increase compared to last year. Last year’s price was a 2.7 per cent increase on the previous year. This was the first year that rates for Goldsmith were removed from the same price banner as Front Square, New Square and Botany Bay, representing the difference in quality and convenience of those rooms.
In a statement to The University Times, Trinity’s Head of Accommodation, Anthony Dempsey, said that increases in rent are normally used to “cover operational costs”. This years increase, he said, “there were additional increases proposed to provide for greater re-investment in the property and for a sinking fund to fund longer term replacements of items such as boilers and elevators”.
Dempsey also confirmed that some of the money from the rent increase will be used for the refurbishment of college accommodation and for the sound proofing of property.
The first round of offers for on-campus accommodation were released today, two weeks earlier than last year’s offers, which came out a month later than a year before.
The increase was approved at May 3rd’s meeting of Trinity’s Finance Committee, the minutes of which were approved at a meeting of the College Board on May 24th.
The rental period for on-campus accommodation for the year is September 20th to May 12th, while the rental period for Trinity Hall rental period is September 15th to May 25th. On-campus rooms are typically offered to students who are in their final year or who contribute significantly to campus life, while the rooms in Trinity Hall are typically offered to first-year students. Tourists are able to rent rooms in both locations over the summer months.
Rates for Trinity Hall’s Cunningham House and the on-campus Pearse St apartments saw smaller increases, costing €5546.32 (a 4.2 per cent increase compared to last year) and €5681.22 (a 3.7 per cent increase compared to last year) respectively.
Trinity’s accommodation website states that these rates “are approximated, and may vary slightly” and that students who are successful in their application will see exact rates displayed on my.tcd.ie.
While the annual rate for rooms in the Rubrics increased by 3.8 per cent last year, from €4,757.03 to €4,940.25, no rates are displayed for the on-campus building this year.
Trinity’s accommodation rates have been rising upwards in recent years, increased by four per cent for the 2014/15 year due to the cost of refurbishments and the introduction of the new property tax. Rates were also increased by 3.7 per cent for 2013/14 and by four per cent for 2010/11.
Last year, the price increase was introduced in order to “defray costs concerning the overall upkeep of student accommodation and deliver acceptable standards of service” and in order to subsidise an additional 248 beds for Trinity Students in the Binary Hub complex in the Liberties. Speaking to The University Times, the Dean of Students, Kevin O’Kelly, stated that Trinity wanted to see the rates charged to students “reflect the values” of the accommodation, including “do you have an ensuite, is it close to campus”.
Dempsey said that while additional rooms have once again been secured by Trinity in purpose-built student accommodation, “no element of the increase in rents was being used to subsidise the off campus accommodation which Trinity has nomination rights for”.
Trinity is working to increase the amount of accommodation it can provide to students, with work beginning on the 250-bed on-campus Oisin House project and potential new beds in a new Trinity Hall development.
The shortage of student accommodation in Dublin has been well documented, with unions, including Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU), working directly with students to help find accommodation, and with TCDSU working to offer students digs.
In a statement to The University Times, TCDSU President, Kieran McNulty, said that the union was “very disappointed” at the increase. McNulty warned that the increase in rent will cause “stress and ultimately block people out” from Trinity, especially in the contest of “spiraling” rent prices in Dublin.
“We have requested that College fund our digs/rent a room campaign and we are meeting them to look at a changing of our accommodation rules to reflect the fact that our student residents are adults”, he said.
Over the past year, the amount of purpose-built student accommodation under construction has increased massively, a move that has drawn criticism from politicians. This has also been accommodation has also drawn anger for its rates, with some projects offering rooms that cost a minimum of €250 a week.
Trinity’s well-documented financial challenges have long been based around the costs of the college’s infrastructure. Last year, The University Times revealed that College is currently considering the introduction of a student charge, in a bid to raise money to cover the costs associated with college infrastructure. Increases in accommodation costs in Trinity, which have become increasingly normal in recent years, can be seen in the context of a university that is increasingly attempting to raise more money to cover repairs and refurbishments to its buildings.
