Universities including University of Limerick that are hiking their on-campus rents are blaming refurbishment and building costs.

UL, DCU, UCD, NUIG and Maynooth University are all planning to increase the cost of their on-campus accommodation this September.

The Union of Students in Ireland says it's not the responsibility of current students to fund the cost of building more on-campus accommodation.

Vice President of the organisation Michelle Byrne says students are already struggling to make ends meet.