International students in Ireland: how to pay an accommodation deposit safely

By the DepositSafe team · Updated 13 October 2026 · 6 minute read

General information, not legal advice. For your own case, check the Residential Tenancies Board (rtb.ie), Threshold or a solicitor.

The short answer

You can be asked for a deposit of no more than one month's rent, plus no more than one month's rent in advance. Start with your college accommodation office, pay only by a method that can be traced and refunded, and do not send money for a home nobody has seen for you. If you must pay before you land, keep the deposit out of the landlord's hands until you have moved in.

The three kinds of student housing

Type	What it is	What protects you
Student-specific accommodation	Purpose-built student residences, on or off campus, run by a college or a private provider	Covered by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The deposit limit applies and you can use the RTB's dispute service
Private rented home	A house, flat or room rented from a landlord who does not live there	Covered by the RTB. The landlord must register the tenancy
Digs	A room in the home of the owner, who lives there too	Usually a licence, not a tenancy, so outside the Residential Tenancies Act. Get the terms in writing

Most fraud reports concern the second kind: private lets advertised online.

How much you can be asked for

For a tenancy, the deposit can be no more than one month's rent, and the advance rent no more than one month's rent. In student-specific accommodation a student may choose to pay more rent in advance, for example by term, but it is the student's choice and the deposit limit stays at one month. Our guide to deposit rules in Ireland explains the law. If you have rented in the UK before, Ireland works differently: see Ireland vs the UK.

An agent or landlord who asks for three or six months upfront "because you are from abroad" is asking for more than the law allows for a tenancy.

Start with people who can be checked

Your college accommodation office and international office. Many keep lists of providers and listing services they know.
Your students' union. The Union of Students in Ireland and the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) take part in Threshold's yearly Scamwatch campaign.
Student-specific accommodation booked directly on the provider's own website. Check the web address carefully: Gardaí warn about cloned websites.
A short stay for your first weeks, so you can view private lets in person after you arrive.

Why students from abroad are targeted

You are searching from another country, to a deadline, in a market with few vacancies, and you cannot call to the door. Scammers know the dates of term. Gardaí report that accommodation fraud peaks from August to October, with 230 reports and more than €400,000 lost in the first seven months of 2026 alone. Our guide to rental scams in Ireland describes how each one works.

Paying from another country

Use a card or a bank transfer you can trace. Gardaí recommend a credit card where possible, and warn against cash, cryptocurrency, money transfer services and payment apps.
Check the name on the account against the landlord's ID and the tenancy agreement.
Get a receipt stating the amount, the address and whether it is deposit or rent.
Sign the agreement first. A request for money before any lease is a Garda warning sign.

The full list of checks to make when you cannot view is in our guide to renting in Ireland from abroad.

Where DepositSafe fits

With DepositSafe you pay the deposit by card from wherever you are, and it is held in escrow until you have moved in. The landlord verifies their identity before they can receive it. When you arrive and the keys work, you confirm the move-in and the deposit is released to the landlord. If the home is not there or not as agreed, you report a problem instead, and the deposit stays held while our team reviews it with both sides. The tenant pays a service fee of 4% of the deposit, shown before payment. DepositSafe is for residential tenancies, and it does not replace checking the home and the landlord yourself.

On arrival day

Check that the keys open every door you need.
Photograph each room before you unpack. Our move-in inventory checklist is free to print.
Keep your agreement, receipt and photos together: they are what you will need to get the deposit back when you leave.

Who to call

Threshold: free housing advice on 1800 454 454 or at threshold.ie.
An Garda Síochána: report suspected fraud at any Garda station, and tell your bank at once.
The RTB: information on student-specific accommodation and disputes.

Paying a deposit before you land? It sits in escrow until you have moved in.

See how it works

Common questions

How much deposit can an international student be asked to pay in Ireland?

No more than one month's rent as a deposit, plus no more than one month's rent in advance. In student-specific accommodation a student may choose to pay more rent in advance, for example by term, but the deposit limit stays at one month.

Is a room in digs covered by the RTB?

Usually not. A room in the home of an owner who lives there is normally a licence, not a tenancy, so it falls outside the Residential Tenancies Act. Get the terms in writing.

How should an international student pay a deposit from abroad?

By card or by a bank transfer that can be traced, never by cash, cryptocurrency, money transfer service or payment app. Check that the name on the account matches the landlord's ID and the tenancy agreement, sign the agreement first, and get a receipt.

Who can help an international student find safe accommodation in Ireland?

Start with your college accommodation office, international office and students' union. Threshold gives free housing advice on 1800 454 454, and the RTB has information on student-specific accommodation.