Renters feeling squeeze, says Hearne

Local Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne has said that renters are “feeling the squeeze” and that the government needs to step in to protect them.

The latest Residential Tenancies Board figures confirmed that rents have increased by 5.5% nationally for new tenancies and the average Dublin rent is now €2,177.

Hearne, TD for Dublin North-West, said, “how on earth would a worker earning €30,000 a year be able to afford these rents without spending their entire salary?”

Rents have risen 4.6 per cent in existing tenancies, of which 82.6 per cent are located in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs). Existing tenants are consistently paying less than new tenants because RPZs are working.

Hearne noted that existing tenants are paying less than newer tenants in Rent Pressure Zones, an indication that the system works.

In recent weeks, the government has made moves to abolish Rent Pressure Zones, a move which has been widely criticised by the opposition.

Hearne noted “even with Rent Pressure Zones in place, rents are still rising at alarming rates across the country.”

The latest round of RTB statistics find that 26.8% of Dublin tenancies are registered by landlords who own over 100 properties.

 “These institutional investors do not care about protecting renters and preventing homelessness, which is why the government needs to step in,” Hearne said.

The Social Democrats’ housing spokesperson said, “renters up and down the country are stressed out and fearful of rent caps being lifted. However, the government only seems to be listening to vulture fund landlords.”

“When will the Housing Agency report be published? And why is the government not providing any assurance to the tens of thousands of renters across the country who are terrified they will no longer be able to afford to stay in their homes?

On Wednesday (21) the Social Democrats will hold a protest outside the Dáil calling on the government to protect renters.

Local Labour TD Marie Sherlock said in March that the government has a tendency to “clap itself on the back” when it comes to housing.

In a late March lead story in Northside People, Sherlock was quoted as saying “we are expected to be grateful and wondrous that social housing output is supposedly back at 1970s levels or back to the early 2000s levels but that is not something to celebrate, that is something to be ashamed of.”

She said that the government is “exploiting” renters and that the government is taking advantage of ambiguous language in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, noting there is not one consistent definition of “rent” in the text.