Long waitlists persist as Tartu student dorms remain in high demand
With admissions fast approaching, university students in Tartu are on the hunt for rental housing — whether in a dorm, where demand remains high, or on the broader rental market.
After living in a dorm for nearly two years, history student Karl-Erik Alaloo is planning to move into a rental apartment, as the rent isn't much higher than what he pays for the dorm, and it's closer to the city center as well.
Alaloo is currently paying €184 a month at the student dormitory, which is a very good deal by Tartu standards, especially since everything you need is included. Rent for an apartment, meanwhile, is now around €180 a month.
"I live off support from my parents, although sometimes I'll do odd jobs too — but I don't have a stable, consistent job," he explained.
Raar Kinnisvara OÜ rents out loft-style apartments in town, and according to owner Rait Sinimäe, there are still enough rental apartments to go around right now. Things will be clearer next month, once university admissions exam results are released.
In Ülejõe District, directly across the river from the city center, there are about 30-40 rental apartments on Raatuse tänav that will be available for longer-term rent starting in the fall.
"Our rental prices for apartments here at Hugo.Stay, at Raatuse 23, range from €400-520 a month plus fixed utilities," Sinimäe said. "We've tried to keep [those utilities] fixed for our clients' sake, to avoid any surprises in their budget."
Additional services at Hugo.Stay include a rooftop patio with a glass pavilion, gym access and a quiet work and study space.
According to Maie Pavljuk, accommodation manager at Tartu Student Village, demand for their dormitory housing remains high. Tartu Student Village operates 11 dorms across three cities — eight in Tartu, two in Viljandi and one in Narva — with prices ranging from €80 to €170 a month.
"First-year students can apply to live alone in a double room, but unfortunately the waitlist for single rooms is so long that we can't offer those to first-year students," Pavljuk said.
She explained that students can apply for an entire double room for themselves, but there are very few of those available.
"If someone really wants to get into a dorm, we recommend applying for just one spot, since those applications are given priority in the queue," the accommodation manager added.
Students can begin applying for dormitory housing on July 21.
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Aili Vahtla
