Rental costs for a single person living alone

cakampoletje

Hi - apologies if this has been asked, I've done a search but haven't found that much info.

I'll be moving back to Ireland next year, and having lived alone for the past four years, I'd ideally like to rent a place by myself. However, with rent prices through the roof, I'm starting to wonder whether this will be possible. I dread the thought of a houseshare at this point in my life (mid thirties), but at the same time I don't want to end up in some damp and draughty bedsit.

I'd be interested to hear from any single people living alone - approx what rent they are paying for their apartments, what sort of place they are renting and what the bills are like etc.

I'm on about 50k gross per year, anyone have any thoughts on what the max proportion of your salary you "should" pay on rent is? (I know that last one depends on a lot of subjective factors, but any thoughts are welcome)

prettyrestless

In Cork at the moment you'd be paying at least €1000 a month for a one or two bed apartment. There are three bed houses available for €1300 approx per month. Perhaps you could get one person to share with you to reduce costs but you'd both still have lots of space and a spare room for guests. I'd imagine Dublin is a lot more expensive.

Regarding bills, you will have:
€160 per annum for water bills (single occupancy)
€160 (?) per year for tv licence
Tv and internet - most basic bundles are at least €65/70 a month
Electricity - approx €50-60 per month on average
Gas - up to €100 per month during the winter
Renters insurance - no idea how much this is but maybe €100-200 per year if you want it

I think a general proportion for rent is up to a quarter of your salary. Although mine is closer to a third as I'm not earning much.

riclad

IF you have no tv no need to buy a tv license,
you can rent a room in an apartment, sharing the rent,
or rent a flat.
see rent.ie ,
Alot of people just get broadband, and watch tv online.
not every single person needs cable tv.
bedsits dont exist anymore.
All flats must have a bathroom with a shower.
theres the rent a room scheme,
The resident rents a room tax free ,in his, her own home.
See rent.ie ,daft.ie for rents in various area,s .
i lived in a flat ,for years it was fine .
not cold or draughty.

CatFromHue

You don't say where abouts you'll be moving to and that's going to be a massive factor.

Check out Daft.ie for rental prices throughout the country.

On 50K though you should be ok pretty much everywhere.

newacc2015

I honestly cant understand the Irish hatred of a house shares. Its literally a norm in every other major city in the Western World. Yet if you are past about 25 in Ireland and are in a house share. Most people seem to think you have failed at life. There is nothing wrong with living in affordable accommodation and saving for a deposit.

There is no affordable 1 bedroom apartments hidden in the city(BTW the traditional bedsits are illegal and gone). You will entire waste a lot of your paycheck on a 1 bedroom apartment and continue to rent for the foreseeable future, as you cant save anything. Or you could get a houseshare with a professional, who will probably never be there anyway and save money for a deposit in the future.

prettyrestless

newacc2015 wrote: »

I honestly cant understand the Irish hatred of a house shares. Its literally a norm in every other major city in the Western World. Yet if you are past about 25 in Ireland and are in a house share. Most people seem to think you have failed at life. There is nothing wrong with living in affordable accommodation and saving for a deposit.

I don't see it as a failure but I wouldn't like to be living in a house share. In my experience of house shares, at least one house mate has been a nutter / loud late at night / a dirty pig. Besides you can't beat coming home, closing your front door and knowing you don't have to deal with anyone (except your SO) for the rest of the night or worrying that someone's run off all the hot water / made a mess of the kitchen.

MarkAnthony

prettyrestless wrote: »

In Cork at the moment you'd be paying at least €1000 a month for a one or two bed apartment. There are three bed houses available for €1300 approx per month. Perhaps you could get one person to share with you to reduce costs but you'd both still have lots of space and a spare room for guests. I'd imagine Dublin is a lot more expensive.

Regarding bills, you will have:
€160 per annum for water bills (single occupancy)
€160 (?) per year for tv licence
Tv and internet - most basic bundles are at least €65/70 a month
Electricity - approx €50-60 per month on average
Gas - up to €100 per month during the winter
Renters insurance - no idea how much this is but maybe €100-200 per year if you want it

I think a general proportion for rent is up to a quarter of your salary. Although mine is closer to a third as I'm not earning much.

This, there or there abouts. I'd say you could nibble around some of those figures. Dublin Budget 1100 for a 1 bed in a reasonablish area.

riclad

http://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/30-Nelson-Street-Dublin-1-Dublin-City-Centre/1596338/

you can get flats as above ,
cheaper than renting an apartment .
Sometimes there,s 1 unit flat on the ground floor,
or the top floor which means you have more privacy .
if you are live with a girlfriend, so, it may be simpler to just go for a 1bed
apartment .

newacc2015

newacc2015 wrote: »

I honestly cant understand the Irish hatred of a house shares. Its literally a norm in every other major city in the Western World.

Are you sure about that? In my experience London is similar to Dublin with people of all ages sharing but in cities like Paris, Milan and New York lots of very small studio apartments are available and are classically occupied by 25 - 40 year olds.

MrMorooka

Single person living alone in a flat in Dublin 8. It's a lovely place. Hard to get a good picture of the whole thing, but this is close(from before I moved in properly). Fairly warm, there is central heating that the landlord provides, that keeps it plenty hot for me. Nicely designed use of space, electric shower, fridge, oven and washing machine provided. It's a converted house rather than a dedicated apartment building. I would say though that somewhere of this quality and location is hard to come by.

Income: €36k, €2370 p/m net after tax etc

Rent : €1000
Electricity : €55(Electric Ireland)
Broadband : €45(Virgin)
Phone : €30(Meteor)
Food : €250 p/m roughly - €30 a week in Aldi, then topups in local Tesco/Spar, plus odd takeaways and restaurants/eating out for lunch occasionally. Honestly my diet is terrible though, so this is probably not going to be the same for you, I can't say.
Bins : €4 - it's €13 for 3 bag collection stickers, and I would only really put out a bag a month. Recycling is free.

Savings : I aim for €500 a month if I can.

That leaves me about €500 a month for whatever I want to spend it on. I also have a whole bunch of savings and more than a month's pay in my current account, so I'm not living payslip to payslip anyway. I think I live quite comfortably for my lifestyle to be honest.

OP if you are on €50k you shouldn't have any trouble at all to be honest. There are a fair number of nice flats around Rathmines and Ranelagh I see for under €1200 right now that might be good for you.

Mrs OBumble

MrMorooka wrote: »

Income: €36k, €2370 p/m net after tax etc

Rent : €1000
Electricity : €55(Electric Ireland)
Broadband : €45(Virgin)
Phone : €30(Meteor)
Food : €250 p/m roughly - €30 a week in Aldi, then topups in local Tesco/Spar, plus odd takeaways and restaurants/eating out for lunch occasionally.
Bins : €4 - it's €13 for 3 bag collection stickers, and I would only really put out a bag a month. Recycling is free.

That looks fairly realistic to me.

Food could be cheaper - but when you're working and have savings like that, there is no need for it to be.

Electricity is very cheap - we pay more like 100 per month on average (less in summer).

I'm guessing that the location means that you don't need to run a car (very expensive items) or to spend much on transport - often you can get lower rent, but with higher travel time and cost.

The only other things to add are contents insurance (about 120 per year = 10 per month) and water charges (ditto).

MrMorooka

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Electricity is very cheap - we pay more like 100 per month on average (less in summer).

Well as I say, the landlord provides central heating to the building during the winter months(which I am very grateful for), so I very rarely have to use the electric heaters. Real expense is the electric shower I think. I'm also on level pay, so that probably explains things.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm guessing that the location means that you don't need to run a car (very expensive items) or to spend much on transport - often you can get lower rent, but with higher travel time and cost.

Indeed. If you need a car, that changes the equations a lot. Personally, I can walk to work and to anywhere I would need to shop. I would argue if you live and work within the M50(and definitely within the canals) you don't need a car, walking or cycling should cover you.

cakampoletje

Thanks very much to everyone who replied, great to get some info.

And apologies for not specifying the location, which will be Dublin.

I don't think choosing a houseshare over living alone is by any means the norm in every major city in the western world. Most of my single friends in the city I currently live in live alone, in small, but perfectly adequate apartments which are affordable on regular incomes. I think it is a personal choice. And not everyone is saving for a deposit.

And of course any other replies/info/experiences welcome!

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

riclad

IN dublin there,s not much building going on,
theres not enough flats or apartments for rent for all the single people who need rental accomodation .
i Know people who share a house ,who are very happy to live there .
Since 2008 its mainly high price luxury apartments that are built in dublin ,in certain area,s
and a small amount of council houses ,apartments .
There,s small flats smaller than a 1bed apartment ,
ie sharing a house is not your only option , vs renting an apartment .

LeeLooLee

newacc2015 wrote: »

I honestly cant understand the Irish hatred of a house shares. Its literally a norm in every other major city in the Western World. Yet if you are past about 25 in Ireland and are in a house share. Most people seem to think you have failed at life. There is nothing wrong with living in affordable accommodation and saving for a deposit.

That is simply not true. The only place I can think of where it is in any way the 'norm' to be housesharing in your mid-thirties is London. There is nothing 'wrong' with living in a house share, but it's absolutely normal to want your own space. I'm 30 and live on my own at the moment because I'd had enough of sharing and having to constantly consider other people with every single thing I did, from what time I had my morning shower to when I washed my clothes to when I cooked my evening meal. Living alone as a single professional is absolutely the norm in most cities.

There is no affordable 1 bedroom apartments hidden in the city(BTW the traditional bedsits are illegal and gone). You will entire waste a lot of your paycheck on a 1 bedroom apartment and continue to rent for the foreseeable future, as you cant save anything. Or you could get a houseshare with a professional, who will probably never be there anyway and save money for a deposit in the future.

With a salary of 50K? I would have thought someone making that kind of money could comfortably rent a one-bed.