Digs Drive: Students in final push for extra beds before term begins
Acute shortage of beds persists with CAO offers imminent
Digs drives now a mainstay of the academic calendar
Roche: “we can only hope that this type of action won’t be necessary in Augusts to come.”
(Dublin - Tuesday 19 August 2025) With the first round of CAO offers just around the corner, representatives from Ireland's largest university have taken to the city’s commuter hubs to ask homeowners to open up their homes to students.
Officers from UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) want homeowners with spare rooms to make them available to students under reasonable terms and conditions; benefitting from the Rent-a-Room Relief Scheme, through which they can earn up to €14,000 per year tax-free.
WIth no end in sight to the acute shortage of student accommodation, digs drives have become a mainstay of the academic calendar. Student representatives hope to secure as many beds with good access to their campuses as possible, particularly for those students moving to Dublin for the first time.
UCDSU President Michael Roche said:
“We can only hope that this type of action won’t be necessary in Augusts to come but yet again, student representatives are out pleading with the public to step in and provide a platform for students to pursue their education. While Digs-style accommodation may not be everyone’s first choice, homeowners stepping up to the plate can be the difference maker for someone’s future.”
UCDSU Welfare Officer Emilia O’Hagan said:
UCDSU Officers meeting commuters at St. Stephen’s Green LUAS Stop - 19/08/25
“There’s a win-win here for students and homeowners alike. We’re also asking those considering opening their homes to students to do so on a fair and reasonable basis. Unfortunately we have seen a growth in rooms being offered for five days only, and set at a price of what you imagine a full week would cost.”
The union is stressing that even short-term arrangements can make a huge difference, especially in the critical first few months of the academic year, when students are finding their feet and exploring longer-term options. They are directing homeowners to some guidelines and tips to make the arrangement work and are even providing a template agreement that the two parties can use.
In addition to public appeals, the union is distributing flyers at train and bus stations, speaking directly to commuters who may have spare rooms, and sharing stories of students who have benefitted from digs in previous years.
The union remains critical of successive governments whom they believe have not treated the student accommodation crisis with the urgency it requires; meaning that each August will continue to bring a scramble for beds, with students left in hostels, couch-surfing, or travelling long distances every day just to attend lectures.
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