"No house parties" College Road residents tell landlords

Local residents of UCC have asked landlords to include “no house parties” in their rent agreements with Cork students. The Magazine Road Residents Association (MRRA) has called on the Government to “move on legislation to put an end to the Covid-19 house parties to deal with reckless landlords and tenants who ignore the Covid-19 regulators and are non-compliant.”“People’s lives are at risk if we do not play by the rules.” The calls for action come after resident protests against students staying in the area and holding parties which drew a Garda response during the pandemic, and after the court proceedings of a landlord who was described to own two properties known as the “Covid Party House” and “Party House Central.” Two local residents of Connaught Avenue and Highfield Avenue took the case against him as a result of the noise. Breaches of the order issued by the judge to reduce the noise are punishable by fines of €1,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail. Since February, students have already paid over almost €11,000 in fines to UCC for anti-social behaviour under the college's “three-strikes” resolutions process. Students are faced with a warning, or a €50 charitable contribution in Stage One, up to a €1,000 under Stage Two and Stage Three consisting of up to €5,000 in fines or expulsion.