“Accommodation included” in an Irish hotel job advertisement does not tell you whether housing is free, private, permanent or on site. Ask the employer to turn that phrase into a written description of the actual arrangement before you accept it.
This guide helps you examine the accommodation part of one offer. For the wider search, arrival and problem-solving process, read our staff accommodation guide.
Find out what is being offered
Start with a direct question: “Is a room confirmed for me, or will you help me look for one?” An available room, a temporary stay and a referral to a landlord are materially different.
Ask for the address, the name of the provider and the date you can move in. Confirm whether it is your own bedroom or a shared bedroom, how many people use the bathroom and kitchen, and whether the room is available throughout the period you expect to need it.
A useful answer sounds specific: the type of room, the agreed start date, named contact and a written cost breakdown. A photograph of a hotel bedroom is not confirmation that it is the staff room offered to you.
Check facilities, rules and the commute
Ask about cooking, laundry, bedding, internet, heating, storage and any rules that affect daily life. Clarify visitors, quiet hours and how maintenance requests are handled. If you work late or early, consider how shared space will work with other occupants' schedules.
Check the journey to the workplace at actual shift times. If transport is provided, ask who operates it, whether there is a charge and what happens outside its normal hours. A nearby address can still be inconvenient if the route is unsuitable or the shift finishes after public transport.
These details matter as much as photographs. You are choosing somewhere to live while working, not simply somewhere to sleep on the first night.
Request a complete cost breakdown
Ask separately about rent, deposit, utilities, meals and any other charge. Record the amount, frequency, due date and payment method. If payment comes through payroll, ask how it will appear and whether the first deduction includes more than one period.
The WRC's guidance explains the rules governing deductions from wages. A housing arrangement and a proposed payroll deduction should be checked on their own terms, rather than assumed acceptable because they appear together in an offer. WRC deductions guidance.
Compare all recurring charges and upfront payments with your available budget. Do not describe accommodation as free unless the employer has expressly confirmed what is covered and whether any other charge applies.
Confirm duration and what happens when circumstances change
Ask how long you can use the accommodation, what notice arrangements apply, who receives notice and what happens if the employment ends or you decide to move elsewhere. Request the actual agreement before relying on a verbal summary.
Housing rights depend on the arrangement; the word “licence” alone does not decide its legal status. The RTB explains this distinction. Seek advice about the particular agreement if its effect is unclear.
Use this message to close the gaps: “Please confirm the room type and address, all charges, move-in arrangements, length of availability and the conditions for leaving. Could you also send current photographs and the accommodation agreement?”
Keep the answer with the job-offer checklist. If a key detail is still unconfirmed, make it an explicit outstanding action rather than filling the gap with an assumption. Sagesa Hospitality can help coordinate questions; accommodation remains specific to the individual offer.