More shared bathrooms in student accommodation under new design guide going to Cabinet
Higher Education Minister James Lawless will bring a memo before the Cabinet to formally note the design guide for state-supported student accommodation, developed after a construction cost study two years ago.
The new design standards will include higher bed capacity in the purpose-built student accommodation, with greater use of twin rooms.
There will also be more communal kitchens and shared bathrooms, which will replace the reliance on individual en suites.
The design guide will look to help faster delivery and procurement savings in student accommodation development.
The guide had stakeholder input from groups including experts, planners and students.
It is hoped the new designs will encourage a more sociable experience for students.
There will be ongoing engagement with the Department of Housing to integrate the design guide into Section 28 planning guidelines, which will see planning decisions made consistent across the country.
It is expected that further refinements will be made to the guide.
The new design guide comes as measures to protect students from rent increases in the new rental market system are yet to be fully agreed.
Last week, when announcing that all current tenancies were to be brought in under a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ), Housing Minister James Browne confirmed that students in private rental accommodation will not have additional protections in the new rules.
Concerns were raised in relation to students who rent for a limited period for the academic year and for trainee doctors who regularly move around the country.
Those groups could be subject to increases in rent on a regular basis under rules to be brought in on March 1, 2026, which will allow landlords to reset rents to market rates when a tenant voluntarily leaves, or every six years.
While students in the private market will not have additional protections, Mr Browne confirmed last week that measures will be brought in to support students in student-specific accommodation.
Those measures have not been finalised yet.
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