Gardaí are urging new college students to remain vigilant against accommodation scams as they search for housing ahead of the new academic year, following a significant rise in fraudulent cases.
With Leaving Certificate results released on Friday and CAO offers due this week, thousands of students will be seeking accommodation near third-level institutions. However, scammers are known to exploit this annual influx of new renters.
Official garda figures show accommodation fraud reports have increased by 22% in the first six months of 2025, reaching approximately 160 cases. Financial losses from these scams have totalled €385,000 so far this year, compared to €617,000 for all of 2024.
The timing of these crimes is particularly concerning, with last year’s data showing one-third of all accommodation fraud reports occurred in August or September, coinciding with the college preparation period.
Young people are disproportionately targeted, with 34% of victims under 25 years old and 66% under 33, according to garda statistics.
The fraud typically takes two forms: rental scams where victims pay deposits for non-existent properties, and reservation fraud involving fake hotel or guesthouse bookings.
Gardaí have issued comprehensive advice to help students avoid falling victim to these schemes. Key recommendations include only using recognized letting agencies or trusted sources like colleges and student unions, thoroughly researching properties and advertisements, and being wary of cloned websites.
Students are strongly advised to never rent without viewing a property first and to avoid cash payments, Revolut transfers, or cryptocurrency transactions. Instead, they should use traceable payment methods like credit cards.
“Never agree to rent a property without first having the opportunity to view it,” the garda statement emphasized, warning against off-site communications offering lower cash prices.
Additional precautions include insisting on proper receipts and tenancy agreements, avoiding sharing personal or financial information with unknown individuals, and never paying through iTunes vouchers or cryptocurrency wallets.
The warning comes at a critical time as students prepare for the upcoming academic year amid Ireland’s ongoing accommodation crisis.