Renting in Dublin: flatshare or living alone?

Austerlitz

Hey guys,

I'll be moving to Ireland soon for the first time, and I will need to find a place to stay fairly quickly, but I'm not sure what would be the best option.

I also wouldn't want to sign any long-term contracts right from the start, as this will be my first time here and would like to get the lay of the land first before committing to anything.

As I understand, finding a one bedroom apartment/studio is difficult in Dublin + very expensive?

Is it possible to find something in three weeks tops? Should I maybe start looking before arriving in Dublin? Although I wouldn't be able to make calls and visit, and I was told the market keeps changing fast.

Are there any good + reasonably priced locations in or near the city center?

So many questions. Better stop myself.

Michael D Not Higgins

What's your budget? Honestly with the way the market is, you're not going to secure anything before being here. They're going to want deposit, references, etc. before you can be guaranteed a place. A standard lease is for a year, maybe 9 months in the case of student accomodation, but short term lets are less likely.

TheBandicoot

Without your budget this is pointless.

Unless you can afford at least €1200 a month in rent alone, you won't be living alone in a "good" location "in or near the city center".

the world wonders

Austerlitz wrote: »

Are there any good + reasonably priced locations in or near the city center?

1. good location
2. reasonably priced
3. near city centre

Pick two. Or more likely in the current rental market, pick one.

Arbiter of Good Taste

the world wonders wrote: »

1. good location
2. reasonably priced
3. near city centre

Pick two. Or more likely in the current rental market, pick one.

I would also venture to say the in the current market, 1 and 3 are mutually exclusive to 2

Austerlitz

Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »

What's your budget?

I wouldn't go over 1k.

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Unless you can afford at least €1200 a month in rent alone, you won't be living alone in a "good" location "in or near the city center".

Even for studio apartments?

Arbiter of Good Taste

Austerlitz wrote: »

I wouldn't go over 1k.



Even for studio apartments?

You should get something for that budget if you're sharing. Forget going alone

Austerlitz

Might be a good time to ask: if your monthly rent is say €1000, how much should you be earning per month?

Is there a good rule of thumb?

quadrifoglio verde

Austerlitz wrote: »

Might be a good time to ask: if your monthly rent is say €1000, how much should you be earning per month?

Is there a good rule of thumb?

Below 30 is a good rule, definitely not above 40

ghostdancer

Austerlitz wrote: »

I wouldn't go over 1k.



Even for studio apartments?

you'll get 1-bed apartments in the city centre for 1000, studios too:
http://www.daft.ie/dublin-city/houses-to-rent/dublin-city-centre/?s[mxp]=1000&s[mxb]=1

sharing in a 2bed apartment in the city centre, you're looking at around 700 or so.

personally, i'd share if you're not completely against living with other people.

you'd be extremely unlikely to sort something from abroad. my recommendation would be to get an airbnb room/rental for a week when you arrive and arrange to view places from about 2 days before you arrive in Ireland so that you can viewings on the 1st or 2nd day you get here.

Tar.Aldarion

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Without your budget this is pointless.

Unless you can afford at least €1200 a month in rent alone, you won't be living alone in a "good" location "in or near the city center".

He can live 20 mins walk to town for way way less than that. I'm 15 mins from O'Connell and pay 700. It's not a studio either.

Look at outlying areas that are within half an hour walking to town imo if looking for a place on your own.


Perhaps moving somewhere new it would be better to get some housemates from a social perspective and live on your own at a later date.

I don't think you will get a short term place though. You'll be signing a contract of most likely 1 year. Dunno if there are many shorter ones about.

Tar.Aldarion

Edit: they deleted their post

Austerlitz

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Perhaps moving somewhere new it would be better to get some housemates from a social perspective and live on your own at a later date.

My thoughts exactly.

Captain Chaos

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Below 30 is a good rule, definitely not above 40

In Dublin it's got to 40%. I'm 45% myself on rent. Outside Dublin for the 30% rule.

Tarzana2

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

He can live 20 mins walk to town for way way less than that. I'm 15 mins from O'Connell and pay 700. It's not a studio either.

Don't give the OP false hope - your situation is not typical. You either have an oblivious landlord or else your rent is about to skyrocket.

You won't find a non-studio 15 mins walk from O'Connell Street for €700/month in today's market. There's handful up on daft and most of them are kips. That probably end up being let for higher than advertised.

Austerlitz

Tarzana2 wrote: »

There's handful up on daft and most of them are kips. That probably end up being let for higher than advertised.

Are they easily spotted without actually visiting them? Anything I should pay attention to?

Michael D Not Higgins

Austerlitz wrote: »

Are they easily spotted without actually visiting them? Anything I should pay attention to?

It's obvious when you see blurry, dark and obviously distorted photos on the ad to try and hide what it actually looks like. The other obvious one is no photos.

Tar.Aldarion

I never go to one without photos and you can tell a place is crap from pictures all right.

Tarzana2 wrote: »

Don't give the OP false hope - your situation is not typical. You either have an oblivious landlord or else your rent is about to skyrocket.

You won't find a non-studio 15 mins walk from O'Connell Street for €700/month in today's market. There's handful up on daft and most of them are kips. That probably end up being let for higher than advertised.

The point is not that it is 700 exactly but that it's much less than 1200 that was quoted which isn't true. When i was looking recently there were plenty of lovely places for 800ish, and again at 850 and 900, at 700/750 some were fine. All it takes is some looking. I saw some gorgeous places at 800.

tinz18

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

I never go to one without photos and you can tell a place is crap from pictures all right.

Sometimes its worth the chance of seeing one without pics. After a month and a half of searching for a decent place and seeing places with dolled up pics that ultimately were dumps we took a chance on a no photo one- it was the nicest of the lot and the only reason there wasn't photos was because the previous tenant hadn't left by the time the ad went up. The same happened for the room I rented in Galway- no pics but the cleanest and biggest house I've ever lived in.

Tarzana2

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

I never go to one without photos and you can tell a place is crap from pictures all right.



The point is not that it is 700 exactly but that it's much less than 1200 that was quoted which isn't true. When i was looking recently there were plenty of lovely places for 800ish, and again at 850 and 900, at 700/750 some were fine. All it takes is some looking. I saw some gorgeous places at 800.

I'm dubious. You had a thread a while back about your rent increasing from €700 to eight something. Now your new place is also €700? D7 wouldn't be the most sought-after but this still seems unlikely.

Tar.Aldarion

tinz18 wrote: »

Sometimes its worth the chance of seeing one without pics. After a month and a half of searching for a decent place and seeing places with dolled up pics that ultimately were dumps we took a chance on a no photo one- it was the nicest of the lot and the only reason there wasn't photos was because the previous tenant hadn't left by the time the ad went up. The same happened for the room I rented in Galway- no pics but the cleanest and biggest house I've ever lived in.

If stuck I'd definitely go along, filter out all the crap picture ones first. Go to all the nice looking ones and then start going through those. Too often it's jsut been a waste of both peoples time but good to know there can be decent ones.

Tarzana2 wrote: »

I'm dubious. You had a thread a while back about your rent increasing from €700 to eight something. Now your new place is also €700? D7 wouldn't be the most sought-after but this still seems unlikely.

I got them down from 850 to 750, then got them down to 700. No price increase and stayed where I was, was able to show them other places cheap enough and they knew I was a good tenant so I'm still there.

Now obviously supply will change all throughout the year, and the places/prices baseline changes a lot.Sometimes teres dozens of places available near me, sometimes there's nearly none. I'm not saying they will get the same deal, I am saying that 1200 is wrong.

Tarzana2

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Now obviously supply will change all throughout the year, and the places/prices baseline changes a lot.Sometimes teres dozens of places available near me, sometimes there's nearly none. I'm not saying they will get the same deal, I am saying that 1200 is wrong.

1200 might be wrong but 950-1000 would be accurate. For some areas only though. Higher than this in others.

If you haggled them down like that, I doubt the place is that great! Most flats in this price range on daft are basically studios, if not by name. Pokey places I'd be depressed to live in.

You might be finding a handful of nice €800 places on daft but that's only half the story - how many people actually viewed them or contacted about a viewing? An avalanche, I'd say.

Mick Murdock

It's quite obvious that the OP would be paying €850 to live in the place you are getting for €700... So the point is pretty much invalid.

Tar.Aldarion

Eh the whole point was that it's not exactly the exact figure that matters, it's that he would be paying 850 not 1200 which is a huge difference and much more affordable. Nonsense to say they are priced out of it at a grand...

Which all the replies before mine said, nonsense.

Mick Murdock

Apologies, you are correct. €700 won't get jack**** in that area.

quadrifoglio verde

Captain Chaos wrote: »

In Dublin it's got to 40%. I'm 45% myself on rent. Outside Dublin for the 30% rule.

The op was asking was there a good rule to follow with regards to affordability. For affordability purposes its advised to stay below 30% of your gross income.
I'd be ****ting it If I was paying 45% of gross on rent

the_syco

Austerlitz wrote: »

I'll be moving to Ireland soon for the first time, and I will need to find a place to stay fairly quickly, but I'm not sure what would be the best option.

I also wouldn't want to sign any long-term contracts right from the start, as this will be my first time here and would like to get the lay of the land first before committing to anything.

Better off getting a hostel room for a month or two, imo. When you desperate for a place, you may ignore your gut, something which you will regret.

Austerlitz wrote: »

Is it possible to find something in three weeks tops? Should I maybe start looking before arriving in Dublin? Although I wouldn't be able to make calls and visit, and I was told the market keeps changing fast.

You can look before arriving, but there's no point. The good ones will disappear overnight, and the ones not, are not for a good reason.

Mick Murdock

Living in a hostel with a lot of personal belongings is very difficult. Get a reliable Airbnb person.

Austerlitz

I will have three weeks in a hotel covered, hopefully I'll find something during that time, but Airbnb sounds like a good idea if I don't.

Gael23

How difficult is it to get a houseshare in Dublin and are there any tricks that help?

athtrasna

ryanf1 wrote: »

How difficult is it to get a houseshare in Dublin and are there any tricks that help?

I had over 80 replies to the ad I placed on Daft...depending on the location demand is high.