National Student Accommodation Strategy to support delivery of 42,000 student beds
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From: Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
- Published on: 24 March 2026
- Last updated on: 24 March 2026
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, today announced the publication of the second National Student Accommodation Strategy, setting out a focused plan to support the delivery of 42,000 student beds by 2035.
The Strategy outlines practical measures to address affordability, supply and viability, while ensuring future demand is met without additional pressure on the private rental market.
Minister Lawless explained,
“This Strategy is about delivery. I have prioritised removing the barriers that have slowed progress and putting in place a clear pathway to activate new student accommodation at scale. It combines direct State action with private sector delivery in a way that is both practical and proven.”
A key element of this Strategy is the unlocking of State owned land across higher education campuses. The Strategy allows higher education institutions to make campus sites available for new student accommodation through fixed term licence agreements with private developers, with the sites and buildings returning to the institution at the end of the term.
“I am moving immediately to fast track this approach,”
the Minister said.
“We want to support Higher Education Institutions to activate sites now and turn them into beds for students.”
To accelerate delivery, the Minister has already secured a strong early pipeline of nationwide proposals with more anticipated. These will be advanced on a phased basis in 2026, beginning in major cities before expanding nationwide.
A major policy innovation being introduced by Minister Lawless is the introduction of a framework for the use of nomination agreements. This approach is new in Ireland but proven internationally. These agreements give universities a guaranteed number of beds for their students and give developers the occupancy certainty they need to finance and deliver new accommodation. By setting clear commitments for both sides, nomination agreements help universities plan for student demand and allow developers to advance projects with confidence.
“This is a win–win model, and I am leading on embedding it in the Irish system to unlock supply quickly and responsibly,”
the Minister said.
The Strategy also extends the Technological Sector Student Accommodation Programme to include Universities, ensuring the wider sector can benefit from the measures outlined by the Minister.
To further strengthen viability, the Strategy will support the use of design guidelines, introduced by Minister Lawless, that allow for more efficient layouts, ensuring accommodation remains high quality while delivering additional beds for students. In addition, Minister Lawless has worked with his Government Colleagues to secure a dedicated three year protection window under the revised Rent Pressure Zone rules for student accommodation, providing students with the certainty and protections they deserve. The Minister has also supported the Government’s new rent resetting rules and reduced 9% VAT rate on PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation) sales which balance student protection with project financing.
Affordability remains a central element of the Minister’s approach. Students benefit from a broad package of supports, including the SUSI non-adjacent grant for those living 30 km or more from their institution, the PATH 2 (1916) Bursary, Student Accommodation Assistance, and the Student Assistance Fund. Together, these schemes provide a record €176 million in annual support, and Minister Lawless has committed to strengthening them through the annual Estimates process.
“Affordability is a real concern for students and families, and this Strategy sets out a pathway to continue improving supports as supply increases,”
he said.
The Strategy builds on recent progress overseen by the Minister, including the Short Term Activation Programme, which will deliver almost 1,000 new beds, 30% at discounted rents, supported by €110 million from the National Development Plan.
Concluding, Minister Lawless said,
“This Strategy is focused on activation, acceleration, affordability and delivery. My priority is to move from plans on paper to beds for students - and this Strategy gives us the tools to do exactly that.”
Notes
The National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026-2035 sets out a pathway to make higher education more accessible by addressing two critical challenges, accommodation affordability and accommodation supply and viability.
It does so in the context of a projected requirement for approximately 42,000 student beds by 2035 including an existing deficit of 15,000 beds which is currently contributing to unsustainably long commuting patterns for some students.
The Strategy is structured around two pillars:
- Pillar 1 - Viability and Supply, focuses on activating supply for the emerging demand of 42,000 student beds, including on and off Campus Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and Rent‑a‑Room beds over a ten-year period to meet the projected levels of demand.
- Pillar 2 - Affordability Supports for Students, aims to provide targeted financial support directly to students regardless of whether they are Living at Home, in Rent‑a‑Room accommodation, Private Rental or public or private PBSA.
Higher Education Sector Student Accommodation Programme (HSAP)
To ensure a consistent approach to the delivery of State-supported student accommodation, DFHERIS in conjunction with the HEA established a national Technological Sector Student Accommodation Programme to enable Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology to submit proposals for student accommodation on, or near, their main campus location.
Technological Universities have already identified a pipeline of proposals. As part of the Strategy this programme is now being expanded to Universities and will be known as the Higher Education Sector Student Accommodation Programme (HSAP). It will be delivered in a series of phases starting with Cork, Dublin and Galway. Preliminary Business Cases will be progressed in 2026.
This programme will be supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA).
This programme will enable Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to have access to increased PBSA beds by supporting private developers to build PBSA on or near campus through a combination of nomination agreements, licensed sites and site servicing.
Under this programme a framework will be developed, in line with appropriate consents from the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, to enable Technological Universities to enter into nomination agreements.
Nomination Agreements
Nomination agreements allow institutions to secure beds within privately operated accommodation by committing to nominate students for occupancy.
Site servicing
State supported site servicing involves the provision of surveys to establish ground conditions together with further enabling work on or adjacent to relevant sites.
Rent a Room (Digs)
Rent a Room accommodation is a potential immediate source to increase the supply of student accommodation. A number of measures have been implemented to support the supply of digs accommodation, and these measures should be retained to assist students. Promotional campaigns have seen a significant increase in the numbers of available beds.
A Voluntary Regulatory Framework and sample licence agreement to assist both homeowners and students who wish to avail of the scheme was published. The guidance aims to highlight to homeowners and students the key issues to consider when entering into arrangements.
Sustainable commuting
The Strategy aligns with wider transport demand management objectives and complements national mobility strategies by recognising the link between accommodation and commuting patterns. HEIs will use data-driven insights to assess student mobility and support efficient commuting, while participating in sustainable transport initiatives and promoting active and public transport options. A pilot project will strengthen collaboration between HEIs, transport authorities and local bodies to improve commuting options and monitor outcomes. Commutes exceeding three hours in total are considered excessive and are reflected in demand planning for student accommodation.
Affordability
Affordability of student accommodation is supported through a range of financial assistance schemes, including the SUSI Student Grant Scheme (with non-adjacent grants targeting students living 30 km or more from their HEI), the PATH 2 1916 Bursary, Student Accommodation Assistance, and the Student Assistance Fund. The Strategy commits to targeting these supports for increases in line with the annual estimates process. Combined, these supports provide €176 million annually, alongside the rent tax credit, which offers up to €2,000 per year for jointly assessed couples or €1,000 for single applicants.
