Homeowners living near a college or IT are being urged to rent out a spare room to students.

It comes as the cost of living on campus has risen by up to 760 euro a year.

According to a survey in the Irish Independent, UCD is the most expensive college for student accommodation - with their cheapest option costing almost 6 thousand euro per year.

Trinity is the second most expensive, followed by Maynooth and NUI Galway.

President of the Union of Students in Ireland, Annie Hoey, says digs are a great option for students: