The complaint that former Trinity College Dublin Students Union (TCDSU) President László Molnárfi filed to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) regarding the College’s overnight guest policy has led to the College changing its policy.
The overnight guest policy put restrictions on students bringing guests back to their on-campus or Trinity Hall accommodation – meaning that students could not sign in overnight guests past midnight. This system was criticised by Molnárfi for its “breach of privacy” and violation of tenants’ rights under the Residential Tenancies Act of 2004.
A college spokesperson has said that “while students in Trinity accommodation still have to register overnight guests, they may now do this online at any time of the day or night (without a cut-off time of 11/12 pm, as applied in the past)”. This new policy will come into effect as soon as the online registration form has been updated.
Molnárfi stated: “This is a victory for student housing rights and is a testament of grassroots power. The overnight guests policy was a paternalistic system that stripped students of their rights.
This landmark case will also enable students across Ireland to take on their student accommodations, whether public or private, in regards to similar antiquated policies. Get riding!”
