Navigating the Irish Rental Market as a Migrant
The Week in Housing 28/03/25
I’m delighted to bring you a guest post today from Dr. Valesca Lima, lecturer in politics at DCU. The below draws on Valesca’s recently published report on the housing challenges and needs of migrants, especially focusing on the difficulties of finding a home in the PRS. Despite the over-representation of migrants in the PRS, there has been very little research on the migrant experience, which makes this report all the more noteworthy.
Finding a place to call home is a fundamental need, yet for many arriving in a new country, this seemingly straightforward task can become a complex and often disheartening ordeal. My recent research report, Housing Challenges and Needs of Migrants in Ireland (read full report here), focuses on the lived experiences of individuals with migrant backgrounds as they navigate the Irish private rented sector (PRS). It draws on qualitative research methods, including 42 interviews with migrants from around the world and policy document analysis and it was funded by The Housing Agency.
While the report covers various aspects of migrant housing journey in the rental market, including experiences of discrimination and pathways to homeownership, one area that consistently emerged as a significant hurdle was the initial challenge of securing a home and understanding the intricacies of the Irish rental market.
Many migrants find their initial entry into the Irish PRS to be a significant adjustment. The process of finding housing in a new country can be culturally overwhelming and confusing and that learning about the local housing system and norms can be a steep learning curve for new arrivals. Anna* (from Brazil, arrived in Ireland in 2016) described this new experience as a ‘shock to the system’.
This feeling highlights the cultural and practical complexities that newcomers face when trying to find their footing in a new housing landscape. Learning the local housing system and its norms can indeed be a steep learning curve. This initial introduction to the Irish housing system was challenging for nearly all research participants. This wasn't solely due to limited financial resources, although that was undoubtedly a significant factor for many. Experiences of discrimination, both overt and subtle, and a general lack of knowledge about how the housing system operates in Ireland compounded these challenges.
Whether they arrived as students, skilled workers, or families, one of the most striking findings was the significant reliance on personal connections and networks. For many migrants, having connections or acquaintances already familiar with the local housing market proved invaluable. These individuals can offer referrals, share crucial insights into navigating the rental process, and significantly ease the often stressful process of finding accommodation.
One participant from Bangladesh, Laila, who arrived in 2021, explained how having Irish friends supported her housing search:
“I found it easier to find housing because I already knew someone here, a friend of a friend who is from West Dublin. If you ask a friend, especially if they're Irish they'll know more about this [rental market], and they can help you search on these sites, like Daft, like with which locations to search and how to approach the estate agent with the right kind of documents.”
Many new arrivals lack the familiarity with online rental platforms like Daft.ie. They may not understand the nuances of how listings are presented, the typical application procedures, or the importance of acting quickly in a competitive market, in addition to the high risk of falling prey to rental scams.
Language barriers and a lack of confidence can make direct communication with landlords or estate agents daunting. The reality for many participants was that they did not have an immediate network of local Irish friends to facilitate access to reliable housing information. They often had to resort to a mix of online platforms, social media, and whatever limited personal networks they could put together, their strategies often depending on their familiarity with technology, the length of their residency in Ireland, and their available resources.
The emotional toll of this prolonged uncertainty and the constant fear of homelessness cannot be overstated. In the absence of established local connections, immigrant communities often step in to support one another, creating vital safety nets. This support generally operates in two key ways: information sharing and acting as intermediaries (e.g., providing translation, acting as guarantors, or offering reference letters, etc). Intermediaries, often friends or fellow migrants who have lived in Ireland for a longer period, play a crucial role in bridging the information gap that migrants often face. Their support, though often informal and unpaid, can be essential in contexts where institutional support is limited or where a migrant's social capital is low.
Informal networks are frequently used to disseminate information about available housing, and online platforms like Facebook groups dedicated to specific communities play a significant role in connecting people with potential accommodation.
Budi, who moved from Indonesia in 2019, shared his experience of relying solely on social media platforms to search for housing:
“I didn’t even know about Daft or the other places, I just went straight to Facebook groups because I knew I would have options there, especially for a shared room, which was really what I could afford.”
While these groups can be a lifeline, my research also indicated that the accommodation listed on these platforms is not necessarily cheaper or of good standard compared than those advertised on larger rental platforms. In fact, many listings are for shared rooms or even bed sharing in overcrowded properties.
International students studying in Dublin and other Irish cities often face particularly acute challenges in accessing the housing market. Unlike domestic students, they typically arrive without an established social network in Ireland. This lack of social capital means they often rely heavily on university-provided resources, which are frequently oversubscribed and expensive, or informal networks formed with other international students, which may not have the same depth of local knowledge or influence as those available to domestic students.
While informal networks provide crucial peer-to-peer support, registered organisations and information providers are also vital in assisting migrants to navigate the complexities of the Irish housing market. These organisations offer professional advice and advocacy services, directly addressing issues such as poor-quality housing, unlawful eviction notices, lack of knowledge about tenants’ rights, all of which disproportionately affect migrants.
Often, migrants are unaware of their fundamental housing rights or are hesitant to assert them due to fear of potential repercussions. This fear, combined with language barriers and difficulties in accessing reliable and culturally appropriate information, makes it particularly challenging for migrants to advocate for themselves. Organisations like Threshold and the Citizen Information Board play a critical role in providing specialist housing advice and have reported a significant increase in the demand for their services from migrants.
In the face of these significant challenges, some migrants have developed cultural and strategic adaptations to try and secure housing and mitigate the risk of discrimination.
The report found that some individuals strategically used their "most friendly" identity marker, such as opting to use anglicised first names on rental applications. For participants with dual citizenship, this background often proved advantageous.
Another strategy employed by some migrants is to consciously emphasise their professional qualifications and educational achievements in the hope of positively influencing landlords' perceptions. Professional qualifications and perceived social status are often seen as positive attributes in tenant selection processes. Two postgraduate international students, for example, mentioned how their affiliation with a reputable Irish university helped them to be viewed as more desirable tenants. The necessity for some migrants to actively highlight their professional qualifications and strategically manage their identity to counteract potential housing discrimination sadly underscores the persistent existence of discriminatory practices within the Irish private rental sector.
Overall, my research highlights the significant and multifaceted hurdles that migrants face when trying to secure housing and navigate the often-complex Irish private rental market.
From the initial shock of encountering a new system to the heavy reliance on informal networks and the disheartening need to develop personal strategies to mitigate discrimination, the journey to finding a stable and suitable home in Ireland can be fraught with considerable challenges. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach that includes providing accessible information that is accessible and translated in different language, enforcing anti-discrimination measures, and supporting community networks and advocacy organisations.
* All interviews were pseudonymized to protect interviewees' identities, in accordance with research ethics regulations.
Events & News
Please note, I deleted my Twitter earlier this week which will make it harder for me to find out about seminars, conferences etc. So if you are organsing and event that you would like me to share please email me directly at michael.byrne@ucd.ie. The second in the Making Rental Housing Affordable series I'm organising with Sarah Sheridan, PhD will discuss the latest progress on Cost Rental Housing in Austria with Dr Gerald Koessl from 1-2pm on Wednesday April 16. We hope to zero in on some of the challenges that have emerged in the rolling out of Cost Rental here in Ireland, especially costs and affordability. I was on Rory Hearne’s Reboot Republic podcast talking about the problems with the left and housing politics. The Simon Community are organising this webinar on women’s homelessness in Northern Ireland.
What I’m reading
A shorter and updated version of my piece on interest rates, RPZs and build to rent supply was published by RTE Brainstorm on Wednesday. Some interesting new research on social housing conditions featured in the Irish Times this week. This useful short piece by Gerald Koessl looks at housing affordability and inequality in Europe.