“Shortage of at least 38,900 student bedspaces across Dublin and the three regional centres of Cork, Galway and Limerick at the end of 2025.”
Statement by Sherry FitzGerald Research
Tuesday, February 17th, 2026
Sherry FitzGerald, Ireland’s largest estate agent, reported today (Tuesday, February 17th, 2026) that the limited development of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in recent years has led to a deficit of at least 38,900 bed spaces in Dublin and the three regional centres of Cork, Limerick and Galway at the end of 2025[i]. This shortfall increases to 53,000 if we assume a shorter commutable distance for students attending third level in Dublin.[ii]
According to Jean Behan, Senior Economist and Head of Research, Sherry FitzGerald; “In the past few years, elevated construction and borrowing costs impacted the viability of PBSA developments, which coupled with uncertainty, reduced development activity at a time when student numbers were growing. This created a growing divergence between the demand for and supply of PBSA accommodation and placed additional pressures on the private rental market.”
At the end of 2025, the number of PBSA bed spaces in the State totalled 47,600. The number of full-time students in HEA registered third level institutes for the 2024/2025 academic year stood at 215,585. Sherry FitzGerald Research estimates that Dublin faces the most acute pressure, with a student to bed space ratio of 2.7 based on the assumption that all students originating outside of Dublin require accommodation. If the assumed commutable distance is extended to include counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, this ratio falls to 2.0. Supply shortages are also evident outside of Dublin highlighting the extent of the problem. Student to bed rations for the South-West, Mid-West and West regions, which incorporate Cork, Limerick and Galway ranged from 1.3 to 2.5 at the end 2025.
The development pipeline suggests that these shortages are set to persist in the medium term, with approximately 2,600 student beds under construction across the State at the end of the year. Additionally, although planning permission has been granted for approximately 13,800 beds, a significant proportion, 35%, are in developments that have been put on hold. This is concerning considering that demand for accommodation is set to increase in the coming years. Using CSO population forecasts and assuming an average of the M1/M2 scenario, Sherry FitzGerald Research estimate that demand for additional bed spaces in the Dublin, South-West, Mid-West and West regions could increase further by between 9,900 and 11,700 by 2030.
The forthcoming National Student Accommodation Strategy is expected to help address shortages in the market and support the delivery of additional bed spaces. In addition, various measures being implemented by the Government to tackle shortages in the private residential market should also help increase activity in the PBSA market. This includes the reduced 9% VAT rate on new developments announced in Budget 2026.
Further commenting, Jean Behan said “Measures aimed at improving the viability of developments are welcomed. However, it will also be necessary to ensure that the conditions necessary to attract private capital to the market are also in place if the divergence between demand and supply is to be reduced”.
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For any further information, please contact:
Jill O’Neill
PR Director
Sherry FitzGerald Group
Ph: 01 2376 500 / 086 252 3277
[i] This assumes that for the regional centres, students originating from the region in which they attend third level live within a commutable distance, while the commutable distance for students attending third level in Dublin, includes counties Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. Cork is located in the South-West region; Galway is in the West region and Limerick is in the Mid-West region.
[ii] This is based on the assumption that students attending third level in Dublin and originating outside of Dublin would require accommodation.
