Rent Pressure Zones must be extended nationwide
The proposed tax credit for renters in today’s budget will be gobbled up by landlords through rent increases, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan.
Deputy O’Callaghan, who is the party’s spokesperson on Housing, said:
“Without properly enforced nationwide rent controls, the tax credit for renters will simply be eroded by landlords through further rent increases. This will further fuel spiralling rent inflation.
“For this tax credit to really benefit renters, it must go hand in hand with properly enforced nationwide rent controls. It beggars belief that the Minister for Housing doesn’t understand this.
“New rents have increased by about 9 percent in the past year – well beyond the rent caps allowed under current legislation. The Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) legislation is not working and is not being enforced properly. The vast majority of investigations by the Residental Tenancies Board (RTB) relate to breaches of the Rent Pressure Zones.
“The Rent Pressure Zones legislation is written in a way that means some parts of the country will never qualify, no matter how much rent increases. For example, 62 out of 77 Local Electoral Areas that are not designated as Rent Pressure Zones don’t qualify as there is insufficient data collected in these areas. Renters have faced increases of as much as 60 percent outside RPZs – and still there is no protection for them.
“The Rent Pressure Zone protections must be extended nationwide. A rent freeze is also necessary and – combined with a rent credit – would mean unaffordable rents would actually be reduced.”
September 27, 2022