MORE than 100 students queued to view a mattress on a floor in Cork — but that is not even the worst accommodation available, a TD has claimed.

Solidarity and Socialist Party TD for Cork North Central Mick Barry said while Dublin is experiencing “the sharpest point” of the homeless crisis and the student accommodation problems, Cork is quickly catching up.

3 A student told Cork TD Mick Barry that more than 100 students recently queued to view a mattress on the floor of a room in Cork Credit: Getty - Contributor

He said: “I spoke to a Student Union officer who witnessed with their own eyes around 100 people queuing for what was just a mattress on the floor in a room.

“It had shared facilities but the room I doubt was very big and they were asking for €400 a month.

"That might not seem like a lot compared to Dublin but in Cork that is a new high, or indeed a new low. But that is not even the worst.

“In Bishopstown, in the vicinity of Cork IT, there are houses in an estate where the bedrooms are subdivided and partitioned so you as a student are paying €400 a month to live in a cubicle alongside ten other students crammed in together.

3 Solidarity and Socialist Party TD Mick Barry

“Clearly in Dublin the housing and student crisis is at it’s sharpest point.

"But what is happening is Cork and Limerick and other cities are catching up.”

Some are now fighting back, with Maynooth University Student Union refusing to advertise accommodation that is overpriced.

3 John-Mark McCafferty of Threshold, Siona Cahill of the USI and Martin Clancy of Daft.ie Credit: Stedman

Its president Leon Diop has told one landlord in particular that a room for €600 is “too much to be charging a student,” while also highlighting a €900 twin room that the door can not open the whole way is “a joke”.

Threshold have joined forces with the Union of Students in Ireland and daft.ie to launch Scamwatch in order to stop students from being ripped off.

Here, Nicola Bardon looks at the tips for those accepting their CAOS and hunting for somewhere to stay.

1) BE aware of offers that appear to be too good to be true

If the pictures are too good and the price seems too good for the area it is in, well it probably is too good to be true. Often rogue landlords will post pictures of a completely different property, such as a penthouse, and a very low price, which should be cause for concern.

The Scamwatch report said: “If rent seems like a bargain, do more research by checking rental rates for similar properties in the area, using Google maps to verify the property exists, and checking the Register of Landlords on the Residential Tenancies Board website.”

2) NEVER agree to rent a place without viewing it

Some landlords will claim it is being snapped up and they need a deposit now and you can view it afterwards.

Or they will claim to be out of the country so cannot show you yet but this is often a scam and no such property exists. Even if it is a genuine place, the pictures may not represent what is on offer.

Chief Executive of Threshold, John-Mark McCafferty said: “While rental scams occur throughout the year, we are asking people looking for rented accommodation to exercise particular caution at this time of year, when there is a spike due to a new generation of third-level students looking for somewhere to live.

“We strongly advise people to be cautious of a landlord who claims to be out of the country and can’t show you the property and requests a deposit.”

3) AVOID paying in cash and always get a proper receipt

Using a bank trail means the landlord can always be found if needed. Never transfer money through Western Union or Moneybookers without verifying who they are.

John said: “Would-be renters should also be mindful that in some instances a scammer could be living at the property and showing a number of people around, getting a deposit from several people and then disappearing with the money.

“In other instances, the transaction appears normal until the renter finds the keys don’t work and the ‘landlord’ has disappeared.

People need to establish the house exists, that it is available for rent, the identity of the landlord/agent and the person advertising the property is authorised to rent it.”

4) GET contact details for the person in charge

You may have booked the room through someone on the property, or even the landlord themselves. But it is important to have proper contact details for the landlord or housing agent and not just an email. A phone number is essential in case of any emergencies.

The Scamwatch checklist says one of the main issues is “the transaction appears normal until the renter finds the keys don’t work and the landlord has disappeared”.

It adds: “Therefore people need to establish that the house exists and that it is available for rent and that the identity of landlord /agent and is he/she authorised to rent the property.”

5) DO not just take any room

While the pressure may feel like it is on to find somewhere immediately, as the day college starts draws closer, it is important that you only bid for a room that you feel comfortable with.

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Desperation can lead to signing a lease or being stuck in somewhere unsafe.

John added: “Our advice to students is to start looking for accommodation as soon as possible, but not to feel pressured to take the first place they see.”

The Scamwatch checklist can be downloaded in full at threshold.ie.