Contesting the financialization of student accommodation: campaigns for the right to housing in Dublin, Ireland

Figures & data

Figure 1. Construction of PBSA on Cork Street, Dublin 8. (Source: Authors own, 2020).

Figure 2. PBSA ‘The Tannery’, Dublin 8. (Source: Authors own, 2019).

Table 1. Timeline of government policies and guidelines encouraging and facilitating the development of PBSA.

1999	Section 50 of Finance Act 1999 – Provided capital expenditure relief for landlords of student accommodation. Expenditure incurred on student rental accommodation could be set against the rental income from the property and against other Irish rental income thus reducing the taxable income of the person incurring the expenditure. The qualifying period applied up to 31 December 2006, although under certain circumstances the qualifying period could be further extended to 31 July 2008.
2016	Rebuilding Ireland, an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness launched. Included objectives to support greater provision of student accommodation.
July 2016	Circular released by Department of Housing permitting tourism use of PBSA outside of term time.
October 2016	Dublin City Development Plan (2016-2022) launched. Includes guidelines for the development of PBSA.
July 2017	National Student Accommodation Strategy launched.
July 2017	A ‘fast-track’ planning process is introduced. Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) allow planning applications of more than 200 plus student bed spaces to be made directly to Ireland’s national planning board, An Bord Pleanála, skipping local planning stage.
July 2017	Housing Finance Agency can now lend finance to HEIs for student accommodation – Section 51 of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 amended the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981 to enable the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) to lend to Institutes of Higher Education for the provision or management of student accommodation, including the acquisition of land for this purpose.
March 2018	‘Design Standards for New Apartments – Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ issued. Includes planning guidelines for the development of PBSA.
July 2018	Height restrictions are lifted on new city buildings, allowing for higher density building.
July 2019	Changes to legislation brings Student Specific Accommodation under the jurisdiction of the Residential Tenancies Board. Provides rights and responsibility to Landlords, Tenants and Licencees under the Residential Tenancies Act (as amended). Also brings PBSA under rent cap legislation, preventing rents of PBSA in Rent Pressure Zones from rising more than 4% per annum.

Figure 3. Banners used during Shanowen Shakedown. (Source: Interview participant).

Figure 4. Student protest during Shanowen Shakedown. (Source: Interview participant).

Figure 5. National news media covering student sleepout during Shanowen Shakedown. (Source: Interview participant).