The new law, passed by the Oireachtas on Thursday, will “provide required clarity” before the upcoming academic year, according to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).

The union brought the issue to the Department of Further and Higher Education earlier this year after students reported being offered only 51-week leases instead of term-time leases.

“We are glad that this issue has now been settled ahead of the start of the academic year,” said USI president Chris Clifford.

“It will relieve some of the stress and pressure on students dealing with these specific private student accommodation providers, but this issue once again highlights why we should not rely on private developers for student housing.

“They aim to extract as much money as possible from students, exploiting their desperation due to the housing crisis.

“Once more, we urge the Government to urgently publish the long-awaited Student Accommodation Strategy,” Mr Clifford added.