Earlier this week, on April 28, TikTok user Jake Glendon posted a video highlighting that some ads for student accommodation in Dublin are excluding LGBTQ+ and disabled people from the application process. In the social media post, he shared a screenshot of one listing, which had a tick beside ‘Postgraduate’ (confirming that it was open to postgraduate students), and an ‘X’ beside ‘LGBTQ+ Welcome’ and ‘Disabled’.

“I knew it was going to be hard to find accommodation in Dublin for September, but I didn’t think it would be this hard, because apparently half the places don’t accept people that are in the LGBT+ community. If you’re gay, you’re not allowed to live here,” Jack said.

“Like, sorry, we are literally in a housing crisis. It is so hard to find affordable accommodation and when you do, you’re left with something like this.”

While it is not clear from the video which site allows these options, the portal was advertised on a college platform, and Gay Star News alleges that out of 1,352 rooms available, only five are labelled as ‘LGBTQ+ Welcome’. When contacted about the issue, the third-level institution said that the “Accommodation Team is working with the provider to find a solution”.

“Genuinely, I am struggling to find a place,” Jack added. “I need accommodation in Dublin, my course is in Dublin, there’s no student accommodation with my college and I’m left having to do digs, which clearly is not working out. Something has to change, this is absolutely ridiculous.”

@jakeglendon This puts so much pressure on students, it’s ridiculous. Worrying about having a place to literally sleep & study. #accomadation #ireland #housingcrisis #housingcrisisireland #fyp #irish ♬ original sound – Jake💌🪩✨

The video went viral, sparking outrage among viewers, many of whom are questioning the legality of the situation.

Under Ireland’s Equal Status Acts 2000-2018, it is prohibited to discriminate in the provision of accommodation on nine grounds, including gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion and membership to the Traveller community. However, if a landlord lives on the property themselves, as is the case with digs, they are allowed to exclude certain groups when choosing a tenant.

According to Focus Ireland, there were 15,418 people recorded as homeless in the country last month. The housing crisis is having a severe impact on young people, with a 2023 survey from SpunOut finding that four out of five respondents aged 16 to 24 say it has significantly negatively affected their mental health.