Private rentals in house shares and digs (owner occupied rentals) are an important source of accommodation for students. On this page you will find useful information on how to find suitable availabiltity. 

If you are searching for a room in a private rental you should take the time to familiarise with the relevant rights and responsibilities. 

UCC StudentPad

UCC StudentPad is an online search engine that lets you search for rooms, houses and apartments. It also details the minimum standards when looking for accommodation.

Other relevant sites

Rooms in house shares and apartments can also be sourced on third party websites such as the UCC Accommodation Search Facebook page, Daft.ie and MyHome.ie. Please be aware that many of landlords on these websites will be offering a minimum 6 month contract.

House shares

House shares can be found through the websites mentioned above. These properties will become available throughout the year but mostly in April, May and throughout the summer. Once advertised, they will not last long. When you find something be prepared to travel to Cork to secure it at short notice. Do not pay a deposit or rent without seeing the property. Only rent the property if you feel that it is safe, secure and affordable. 

Digs (owner occupied rentals)

Owner occupied rentals or digs can also be sourced online through a number of websites such as UCC StudentPad and homes.usi.ie. It is important to note that renting in owner occupied accommodation is a licensee arrangement and the normal tenancy rights do not apply. With that in mind, it is important that you set clearly defined terms before entering into this kind of agreement. If you find something suitable it is very important that you view it in person and meet with the homeowner before making a financial commitment.    

There are some important points to note before entering into this type of arrangement.

• Is it a 5 day rental or full week?
• Are utilities and food included in the rent?
• You should discuss details of sharing the house, access to shared spaces and facilities such as laundry and cooking, potential curfew, can you have guests over.
• Make sure that the agreement between you and the landlord is backed up by a contract, signed by both parties.
• Only sign the contract if you are happy with all the details.
• The contract should:
• Protect against any rent increases within a reasonable period, ideally a full year.
• Stipulate the terms for ending the agreement.
• Layout notice periods.

Scams

Before signing a lease, it is important to take time to familiarise yourself with the tenant's  

When searching for private accommodation you should be vigilant for bogus landlords.

Accommodation scams can happen at any time and you can do the following to ensure that you are not impacted by an accommodation scam:

1. Ask the landlord if they are registered with UCC StudentPad.
2. Ask for their RTB registration number. The number should be in the following format xxxx-xxxxxxxx
3. If given an RTB number, you should email registrations@rtb.ie to verify it.
4. You should always view a property prior to signing a lease or handing over money.