Which areas of Dublin should Indian students avoid when looking for accommodation, and how can they protect themselves from deposit scams?

Santry, Tallaght, Adamstown, and Lucan are areas that experienced Irish residents and students recommend avoiding for international and Indian students specifically. These areas are cheaper, which is why they appear attractive when searching on rental listings, but they have had documented incidents affecting international students and are considered higher-risk by people with local knowledge. The practical advice is to pay the premium for accommodation in safer, more central areas rather than optimising purely on price. On deposit scams: these are prevalent in the Dublin rental market and specifically target international students searching for accommodation from abroad.

• The standard scam involves a listing at an unusually low price, a landlord who is conveniently unable to show the property in person or via video call, and a request to pay a deposit or the first month's rent by bank transfer before viewing the property.
• Never pay any money to a landlord for a Dublin property without physically visiting the property, meeting the landlord or agent in person, and verifying that the listing is legitimate through established platforms. Legitimate landlords in Dublin do not require upfront payment before a viewing.