Become a host family in Cork

Cork has two universities, language schools and a steady flow of international students, and like the rest of Ireland it is short of rooms. Gomfy has almost no hosts in Cork yet.

List your room for free

Students are looking for rooms in Cork

In the last three months Gomfy appeared more than 400 times in Google searches for student accommodation in Cork, many of them in French and Spanish.
Over the years students have sent more than 40 accommodation requests for Cork through Gomfy.
Today Gomfy has just one host listing in Cork, so a new host there is easy to find.

Source: Gomfy's own data, October 2026. Google searches: impressions in Google Search Console, July to October 2026. Requests: accommodation requests students have sent through Gomfy since it opened.

How much could you earn in Cork?

On Gomfy you set your own price. This calculator gives a realistic range for Cork, based on Gomfy listings and on what language schools charge students and pay their hosts¹. Listing on Gomfy is free.

Room Single room (one student) Double or twin room (two students sharing)

Meals you offer

Weeks a year with a student: 20

You receive per week–

You receive in 20 weeks–

An estimate, not a promise of bookings or income. Amounts are per week; a double or twin room is two students each paying their own price, usually a little less than for a single room. Listing on Gomfy is free.

Typical weekly price per student, single room, Cork
Meals	You receive per week
Room only	€130–€220
Room and breakfast	€160–€250
Half board (breakfast and evening meal)	€200–€330
Full board (all meals)	€230–€340

Rent-a-Room Relief. Income from renting a room in your own home in Ireland, including to students, can be exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC up to €14,000 a year in 2026 if the conditions are met; from 1 January 2027 the limit rises to €16,000 (announced in Budget 2027; it can still change until the Finance Act is passed). The limit applies to gross income, meals included, so the calculator compares what you receive in the year, meals included, with the 2026 limit of €14,000. Go over it and all of it is taxed, not only the part above. Read our guide to Rent-a-Room Relief →

General information only, not tax, legal or financial advice. Tax rules can change at any time without notice. Provided free of charge and "as is"; Gomfy accepts no responsibility for it or for any decision made on the basis of it. Check your own case with Revenue or a tax adviser.

Where these figures come from. The ranges are Gomfy's own estimate, not official data and not a promise of bookings or income. We built them in October 2026 from two kinds of source: the prices of Gomfy listings in Cork that were updated recently, and the host family rates that language schools publish (what students pay them and, where they say it, what they pay their hosts). Each source, with a link:
- Gomfy has only one listing in Cork, with a price from 2013, so it is not used here.
- Cork English College, 2026: students pay €280 a week for a standard host family (single room, half board on weekdays and full board at weekends) and €340 with a private bathroom, plus €50 a week in summer. Its host page says hosts can earn up to €660 a week (up to three students).
- UCC Language Centre: students pay €310 a week for a homestay with breakfast and an evening meal from 23 August 2026 (€290 before).
- Famworld (August 2024) gives typical host payments in Ireland of €120–€150 a week for a room only, €150–€200 for half board and €180–€250 for full board, higher in Dublin and other large cities.
What students pay a school is not what the school pays its hosts: the school keeps the difference. On Gomfy you set your own price. The figures are not updated automatically; prices in your area may be higher or lower.

Who comes to Cork, and what they look for

Students come to University College Cork (UCC), Munster Technological University (MTU) and the language schools in the city centre, for a few weeks or a whole term.
A home on a direct bus route to the city centre or to UCC is what most of them look for. Mention the route and the travel time in your listing.
Some want a host family with meals, others only a room: you decide what you offer.
On Gomfy most guests are students who are not housed by a school: university and Erasmus students, interns, young workers and people staying a term or several months, plus language students who want to choose their own host. Language schools house their own course students and can sell that accommodation at cost; Gomfy brings you the others, at the price you set. Gomfy or a language school?

Why host with Gomfy

Free to list. No registration fee, no fixed costs and nothing taken from your price: you set the amount you want to receive, and the student pays Gomfy a service fee on top only when you get a booking.
Your price, your dates, your rules. You set the price per week, the minimum stay, what is included (room only, breakfast, or breakfast and an evening meal) and the dates your room is free.
You choose your guests. Students write to you first; you can read their profile and ask questions before you accept.
No exclusivity. Already hosting for a language school? Keep doing it, and use Gomfy for the weeks in between. Gomfy or a language school: an honest comparison.
Students from all over the world. Gomfy is available in English, Spanish, French, Italian and German, and descriptions are translated automatically, so students see your listing in their own language.

How it works

List your room (about 10 minutes): a few photos, a description of your home and the room, your price and your calendar.
We review it and publish it on Gomfy, where students searching for Cork can find it.
Students contact you with questions or a booking request. You answer on Gomfy and accept or decline.
The student pays Gomfy's service fee online when you accept, and your full price directly to you, usually on arrival.

Payments

You set your price and receive it in full, directly from the student, by cash or bank transfer, as you agree with them. Gomfy charges the student a service fee when they book, paid online when the booking is confirmed. There is nothing to pay to list your room.

Tip: ask for one or two weeks in advance. Gomfy does not step into the payment between you and the student. Many hosts ask for one or two weeks' payment in advance, by bank transfer once the booking is confirmed: if the student does not turn up, you have a week covered while you find someone else. Put it in writing, with your notice and refund rule; our homestay agreement template has a place for it.

Safety and trust

You are always in control. Talk to the student before you accept, through Gomfy's messages. Agree on house rules, meals and the payment of the balance in writing before the student arrives. Only guests who stayed with you through Gomfy can review you, and you can review them too. Keep the conversation on Gomfy until the booking is confirmed: that way we can help if something goes wrong. Asking for or giving contact details (phone, email, social networks or messaging apps) before the booking is confirmed goes against our terms and conditions, and Gomfy's messages hide them.

Rent-a-Room Relief: hosting income may be tax-free

Under Revenue's Rent-a-Room Relief, income from renting a room in your own home in Ireland, including to students and language students, can be exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC up to €14,000 a year in 2026 and €16,000 from 1 January 2027 (announced in Budget 2027, subject to the Finance Act), if the conditions are met. You still have to declare it on your tax return.

Garden room or small home in the garden? Budget 2027 says the relief will extend to newly installed auxiliary dwellings of 32 to 45 square metres from 27 July 2026 (announced; we could not confirm it is in law yet). Read the details and sources →

Read our plain-English guide to Rent-a-Room Relief →

General information only, not tax advice. Check your own case with Revenue or a tax adviser.

Become a host in Cork

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to list my room?

Nothing. Listing on Gomfy is free, with no registration fee and no fixed costs. You set your price and receive it in full; Gomfy charges the student a service fee when they book. Nothing comes out of your price.

How much can a host family earn in Cork?

On Gomfy you set your own price. Going by Gomfy listings and what language schools charge and pay, a single room with breakfast and an evening meal in Cork typically goes for about 200 to 330 euro a week per student, and a room only for less. That is what you receive; listing on Gomfy is free. The calculator on this page gives an estimate for your room.

How do I get paid?

When you accept a booking, the student pays Gomfy's service fee online. You receive your full price directly from the student, by cash or bank transfer as you agree with them.

What if a student books and does not turn up?

Gomfy does not step into the payment between you and the student, so protect yourself: ask for one or two weeks' payment in advance, by bank transfer once the booking is confirmed, and write it in your agreement with a clear notice and refund rule. If the student does not turn up, you have a week covered while you find someone else.

Can I choose who stays with me?

Yes. Students send you a request or a message first. You can read their profile, ask them questions and accept or decline. You set your own house rules.

How long do students stay?

Usually from one week up to a full academic year. Many language students stay around four weeks. You decide your minimum stay and keep your calendar up to date.

Can I also host for a language school or university?

Yes. Gomfy is not exclusive: you can keep hosting for a school and use Gomfy to fill the weeks your room would otherwise be empty.

Is the income from hosting tax-free in Ireland?

It may be. Under Revenue's Rent-a-Room Relief, income from renting a room in your own home, including to students, can be exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC up to 14,000 euro a year in 2026 (16,000 euro from 1 January 2027, as announced in Budget 2027 and subject to the Finance Act) if the conditions are met. Read our guide and check your own case with Revenue or a tax adviser.

Do I need to live near UCC?

No. Students mostly care about getting to class easily, so a direct bus to the city centre or to the university is enough. Say how long the journey takes in your listing.

Any other question? Write to us at [email protected].

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