LIVE RENT FREE FOR A YEAR
Au Vodka drops £7,200 student rent giveaway across NI
One student in Northern Ireland is about to unlock the ultimate flex: a full year without paying rent.
Au Vodka has launched Live Rent Free – a £7,200 giveaway paid as £600 a month for 12 months, giving one NI student serious breathing room for the 2026 academic year.
Running from Monday 9 March 2026 to Sunday 10 May 2026, the competition is open to full-time and part-time students aged 18+ enrolled at a Northern Ireland college or university for 2025/26.
Gemma Herdman from Au Vodka said: “Rent doesn’t care if you’ve got deadlines, exams or zero in your account before payday. Live Rent Free flips that completely. Imagine saying, ‘My rent’s sorted this year.’ No stress. No panic shifts. Just actual student life.”
To enter, students simply need to buy a qualifying Au pre-mixed vodka can in a participating Northern Ireland bar or off-licence, grab a promotional scratchcard (while stocks last), and enter the code at winwithauvodka.com. Each entry goes into the next available weekly draw.
There will be eight weekly finalists (one per draw period). Entries do not roll over, and there is a limit of one entry per email address per day.
What would you do rent free? Au Vodka is calling it the Rent-Free Bucket List — the things students would actually choose if rent wasn’t swallowing their bank account:
- Be the “yes” friend – random gig? Last-minute trip? You’re in.
- Upgrade from noodles to main-character meals.
- Glow up your everyday – fresh trainers, decent bedding, haircut sorted.
- Work less, live more – fewer panic shifts, more actual memories.
- Start a ‘future me’ fund – travel plans, summer freedom, or a safety net.
Gemma added: “Not thinking about rent for a whole year is a total game-changer. We wanted something bold, exciting and genuinely life-improving – and free rent delivers exactly that.”
All eight finalists will be invited to a Belfast Grand Final at Ollie’s Nightclub on Friday 29 May 2026 (from 9pm), where the overall winner will be chosen live on the night. Finalists can bring up to four guests (18+).
Seven runners-up will each receive a £50 Amazon Gift Card.
For full details, visit winwithauvodka.com.
Running from Monday 9 March 2026 to Sunday 10 May 2026, the competition is open to full-time and part-time students aged 18+ enrolled at a Northern Ireland college or university for 2025/26.
Gemma Herdman from Au Vodka said: “Rent doesn’t care if you’ve got deadlines, exams or zero in your account before payday. Live Rent Free flips that completely. Imagine saying, ‘My rent’s sorted this year.’ No stress. No panic shifts. Just actual student life.”
Running from Monday 9 March 2026 to Sunday 10 May 2026, the competition is open to full-time and part-time students aged 18+ enrolled at a Northern Ireland college or university for 2025/26.
