Complaints Emerge Over €1,000 Rent Amid Claims Of Issues At Maynooth University’s Buckley House

Maynooth University says accommodation costs were “clearly set out before students accepted their offers” and that “no charges apply beyond the stated rent.”

Students living in Maynooth University’s new Buckley House accommodation say they applied for places believing rent would be between €465 and €800 a month, but are now paying close to €1,000.

They claim that they only became aware of the full cost after being offered places, weeks before term began.

Maynooth University says accommodation costs were “clearly set out before students accepted their offers” and that “no charges apply beyond the stated rent.”

Students have also raised concerns about the condition of the building on move-in, citing heating, ventilation and unfinished works.

They also said power cuts are a big problem.

"Powercuts are a common occurrence despite multiple requests for this to be addressed since September," a spokesperson for the Kildare branch of the Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) said.

Responding, a spokesperson for Maynooth University said: "There were some early snags with electricity tripping due to a highly sensitive systems settings that are required for residential level safety, but that issue has been resolved. Some tripping has also occurred due to user device faults."

The university says “the heating system is working as it was designed to do” in an A3-rated building and that heat recovery and mechanical ventilation mean it “tends to be warmer than a traditional building.”

It says the building management system “tries to balance the heating and ventilation across the entire building,” meaning “widely varying personal preferences are not always satisfied.”

On reports of defects, the university says snagging is normal in new buildings and that issues raised are “logged and addressed through the normal maintenance process.”

Students also claim that despite facilities such as free laundry, a cafeteria and a gym being promoted in advance, a number of issues persist.

The university disputes this, saying “all facilities offered have been available to residents since arrival in September.”

Concerns have also been raised about the smartphone-based lock system, with students claiming battery failures and app glitches caused lockouts.

"Despite the locks being new, there have been multiple reports of them running out of battery and leaving residents locked out of their room. App glitches have also caused issues, with one incident causing at least 70 residents to be locked out of their rooms," the CATU spokesperson said.

The university says it has “no record of battery failures” or any incident where “a large group of students got locked out at one time,” adding the system includes advance warnings and a 24-hour lockout service.

"We are not aware of any incident where a large group of students got locked out at one time. Issues can arise when the app had been updated and anyone who does not complete the update is temporarily locked out until they updated the app on their phone. The access App serves over 1,200 residents, and we are not aware that it is causing multiple problems either in Teach Uí Bhucahalla or any of the other four complexes at River Rye Courtyard or Village," a spokesperson for Maynooth University said.

CATU says the complaints raise questions about value for money and is calling for a rent reduction or urgent action.

The university says it will continue to engage with residents and adjust building operations where possible.