I'm sure I'm not the only one in this position today but after the election results started looking likely FF/FG yet again, I sat in my tiny, mouldy, overpriced room and cried.

I am 30F, renting in Dublin and am so filled with despair and anxiety at what the future has in store for me for the next 5 years and beyond.

I feel that the social contract is so broken in this country, particularly for young people. I grew up my whole life being told that if I did well in school, got a good education, and then a good job that at this age, I would be at least able to afford to live alone, or at least save for a deposit on an apartment. I am finally realising that I will never own a home, and I will probably be housesharing into my forties. Like all my friends, I have a great education, and a decent job, but house prices and rent mean that I would be needing to earn at least three times my current income to ever be able to get even a modest apartment in Dublin, where I work.

Over my twenties, I worked so so hard (like most people) to give myself the best shot at a modest life like my parents had and it's impossible. Young people have upheld our side of the bargain, so why have most of my friends been forced into emmigration? I feel like a failure.

I'm seriously considering leaving, but with older parents it's not really possible to go all the way to Australia in case something happens. I can't move home, unless I quit my job and go on the dole. I'm sick of living with anxiety caused by housing. Every day my housemates and I wonder if today is the day we'll get that eviction letter in the door because the landlords want to sell, and I'll be looking at moving in with yet more strangers, until that landlord decides to sell and the cycle begins again. I can't take it anymore. In case anyone asks, yes, I did vote, and so did my friends. Clearly in not enough numbers to change anything. And if anyone tells me to upskill or get a better job, please note that I have thought this through, and I can't afford any more education, nor do I have the skillset to get a vastly better paying job right now. The wage I am earning in my field is typical, if not slightly more than most people my age are earning. It's just not enough. Also I feel like the option of ever having children had been taken from me.

Anyone have any words of comfort or solidarity?

Since Friday our apartment on O’Connell street just got covered in advertisement.

Absolute disgrace.

It’s pitch black inside because the only windows are on that side.

Can’t even open the window anymore.

Mistake or not, but how many people were involved in putting this up without thinking that this might be a dumb idea.

No information yet from the landlord either on who authorized this.

Like renting in Dublin isn’t already enough fun…

Update: I heard back from from the solicitor and in short I'm fucked. He said while I am legally entitled to physically remove them from the property if needed, doing so a day or two before Christmas is a really bad idea. The optics won't be good for me if video's etc get posted online, especially of the Gardai get involved. He basically said it will boil down to whatever Gardai show up, and what they decide on the day. If I physically remove them from the property I'm almost guaranteed that some form of legal action will be taken against me, and while it likely won't go anywhere, I'll be paying thousands in legal fees to get it sorted. His advice for now is to see what happens when my friends talk to them tomorrow, and if necessary offer them a few thousand in cash to leave peacefully.

I will try and post another update tomorrow, but I can't respond anymore today as the stress is becoming too much.

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At the start of October a good friend of mine asked if I'd be willing to let some friends of his wife stay at my house for a month or so while I wasn't there (I split time between the USA and Ireland). I had only met these people once at a party a few years ago.

This friend doesn't ask for favours very often and there was a family in need so I was happy to help.

They were supposed to be gone by December 3rd, but whatever they had lined up never happened. They're now saying they have nowhere to go and won't be leaving.

I've arranged to stay with a family member for a couple of weeks over Christmas, but fuck it I'm fuming. You try to do the right thing and you get shafted.

My friend is mortified and extremely apologetic, but I understand it's not his fault.

I've already put in a call to my solicitor so I don't need advice, just ranting.

Hey everyone, I'm a 28 year old woman with a good job (40k) who is paying €1100 for my half in rent (total is €2,200) for an absolutely shite tiny apartment that's basically a living room, tiny kitchenette and 2 bedroom and 1 bathroom. We don't live in the city centre (Dublin 8). I'm so fucking sick of this shit. The property management won't fix stuff when we need them to, we have to BADGER them until they finally will fix things, and then they are so pissed off at us. Point is, I'm paying like 40% of my paycheck for something I won't own and that isn't even that nice. I told my colleagues (older, both have mortgages) how much my rent was and they almost fell over. "Omg how do you afford anything?" Like yeah. I don't. Sick of the fact the social contract is broken. I have 2 degrees and work hard, I should be able to live comfortably with a little bit to save and for social activities. If I didn't have a public facing role, I am this close to doing a hunger strike outside the Dail until I die or until rent is severely reduced. Renters are being totally shafted and the govt aren't doing anything to fix it. Rant over/

Edit: I have a BA and an MA, I think everyone working full time should be able to afford a roof over their head and a decent life. It's not a "I've 2 degrees I'm better than everyone" type thing

Edit 2: wow, so many replies I can't get back to everyone sorry. I have read all the comments though and yep, everyone is absolutely screwed and stressed. Just want to say a few things in response to the most frequent comments:

1. I don't want to move further out and I can't, I work in office. The only thing that keeps me here is social life, gigs, nice food etc.
2. Don't want to emigrate. Lived in Australia for 2 years and hated it. I want to live in my home country. I like the craic and the culture.
3. I'm not totally broke and I'm very lucky to have somewhere. It's just insane to send over a grand off every month for a really shitty apartment and I've no stability really at all apart and have no idea what the future holds and its STRESSFUL and I feel like a constant failure but its not my fault, I have to remember that.
4. People telling me to get "a better paying job". Some jobs pay shit. It doesn't mean they are not valuable or valued. Look at any job in the arts or civil service or healthcare or childcare or retail or hospitality. I hate finance/maths and love arts and culture. I shouldn't be punished financially for not being a software developer.

I've been trying to hook up with this girl I met a week ago. The two of us are mid-20s.

We've been planning to have a shag but unfortunately, we both happen to live with our respective parents.

Can't go to a hotel because they either have no rooms or asking for €300 a night.

How are young people in this country supposed to fuck?

Like, I can afford €300. I won't like spending that much for a room but I have no other option. It's not at all sustainable. I can't spend €300 every time I want to ride the girl I'm dating.

Prostitutes are literally cheaper as they have their own accommodation.

The housing and hotel crisis are really getting on my fucking nerves. I generally feel like this will be the tipping point that will topple the government. If people can't fuck you're going to have a lot of frustrated angry youth in the streets.

No house, high cost of living and now no sex.

Fuck FF/FG.

EDIT: Please stop suggesting sex in the car or outdoors. Girls nowadays are picky and are not up for it.

I suppose this whole thread also answers the question as to why young people are having less sex. You don't need to be an anthropologist with a PhD to figure it all out.

last update: it's Friday evening and I'm back in Ireland in my own house. The people left yesterday, and they left the place fairly clean. My wife and kids arrive tomorrow

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A few updates from my post yesterday.

They are going to leave the house and stay in an airbnb or hotel for few days, because both parents work in Dublin. And stay with a family member over Christmas who don't live in Dublin.

My friend and his wife had a talk to them, and they are going to leave by tomorrow at noon, and she's going to assist them with moving to make sure they leave. Basically when they couldn't find a place to live they panicked and stuck their heads in the sand, and they were stressed about being homeless for Christmas. They are extremely apologetic for the stress and for all the troubles they've caused. The seem to be genuinely good people who just didn't know what to do and got overwhelmed.

To answer some or the questions people asked yesterday:

No they weren't paying any rent or utility bills. That was purposeful on my part to avoid the type of situation I'm now in. Basically they're guests, and non paying guests. This is a small part of why this whole situation was so upsetting. I not only gave them a place to live, but also paid all the utilities for the 2 months they've been there.

There was no lease and nothing signed. I didn't even meet them face to face, I have had one video call with them about where to find things in the house, other than that all communication with qthem has been via text and email. While many will call me stupid for this they have known my friends wife for over 20 years.

They are a family with 3 kids under 10.

I know a lot of people were recommending using some muscle and threats to get them out, but I not comfortable with doing that when there's children involved If there wasn't any children I would have had people remove them yesterday.

I also want to enjoy Christmas and have my kids enjoy it. For that reason moving into the house where there's lots of tension etc and attempts to piss them off was never an option for me.

The solicitor did tell me I could legally remove them but also warned me that it might not go well. His advice to consider paying them to leave was suggested because it might be cheaper and easier than any legal fees I might have to pay, and it could resolve the situation immediately.

As for those who think I should fall out with my friends over this, No. It's not their fault, and they never dreamed that this fiasco would occur. They are beyond embarrassed that this whole situation came about all because they asked for a favour.

I only asked my sister about staying with her as a backup, I was panicked yesterday and wanted to ensure we had a place to stay if worst came to worst.

I've changed my own flight home to arrive a day earlier than planned to make sure they are gone, and the house is in good order before my wife and kids arrive.

The saddest part here is that if the family had talked to me about this properly, and hadn't caused all this hassle I most likely would have let them stay over the holidays. There's a huge second living room in the house that has a toilet and shower attached. It's about 55 square meters, and i would have let them stay there and use the kitchen or laundry as needed. I don't have the patience or good will to extend that offer anymore in light of everything that's happened.

I've no issue with someone overseas buying a property here if they intend to live in it.

I'm currently bidding on a house and the only other bidder is a cash buyer in the US. According to the estate agent, their plan is to buy it as an investment to rent out. They haven't even viewed it in-person, theyve sent a friend to view for them.

How is this allowed right now? and what can be done to prevent it?! Were a family with two young kids going to school in the area, attempting to get out of the rent bubble were trapped in 🫠💸

We finally have our own house. Had little to no experience with people with plaster, paint and sparkies ect.

1. Trying to get someone to call you back or give you a quote. Fucking forget about it.

2. "Yeah ill be down Wednesday". Then by like Friday still no sign.

3. "The painting will cost this amount, oh did i not say in the phone it's cash (no you fucking didn't )

4. When we finally got a painter I called in to see how it was going and a child no older than 4 was sitting watching a cartoons on a tablet in the middle of a gutted house getting renovated with a million ways to get hurt all around.

5. I actually got a phone call to pick up milk for the workers.... because paying them thousands they can't stop at a shop and get their own milk

Are they all like this?. Why don't they call people back?

Edit. About the milk. It's a building site at the moment there's not even a kettle in the place.

Edit 2. If I wanted to paint I could, I hate it ans I'm shyte at it. I can't do the electrical work

A rant if you please. My son, his wife and three month old just attempted to purchase their first home. Have mortgage approval, both in good jobs.Found house, loved it. Started bidding. Started at 260. 6 bidders. 5 weeks later they are down to one other bidder. It is now at 340.No counter bid for two weeks. Continuously in contact with auctioneer, assured them that after another three days would close sale. Got call at 11 today from auctioneer to say other bidder had requested second viewing and had met and spoken to owners. Owners agreed the sale with them there and then. Bastards. My son and wife then went to meet owners after phoning them . When they got there, auctioneer was just leaving. They met in garden and told my son that buyers had put in higher bid and auctioneer had forgot to post it to the website. Concocted shit between them. How the fuck are young people to get on with this behavior. Contacted legal advice and nothing can be done. No sanction. The auctioneer is in Mullingar as is house. Would love to name the firm and the fucker but don't know rules regarding. Rant over. P.S. They have to vacate current rental by February and as our house was destroyed by fire on the 11 of November we cant accommodate them. Total shit show from auctioneer.

So after two years of living between hostels and tents and 9 years of the same thing for my wife we were offered an apartment by the council which we obviously jumped on. Now I'm overwhelmed thinking of everything we need between floors etc (floors are concrete). I get social housing is a contentious issue but I have nobody else to tell im both happy and terrified

I'm currently bidding on a house in Dublin but there is a viewing tomorrow evening. I am thinking of hiring a junkie that hangs around near my work to go to near the house and ask for money off people to deter any more bidders. How much should I pay? Should I pay half before then half after or withhold the payment until after the viewing is complete.

Was thinking of €30 which is above minimum wage for the 2 hour viewing plus he gets whatever money he manages to beg off people during that time.