Huge rent rise of 8.3% shows need for freeze and more protection from evictions
- Cost of Living increases hitting young and single people with spiralling rents.
- Average Dublin rent of €1,916 is unaffordable for far too many people.
Responding to the latest massive rise in rents of 8.3% in the year up to the end of September, Labour Housing spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan said it showed the utter failure of government policy and the need for a rent freeze and more protections from eviction.
Senator Moynihan said:
“This is the highest rate of growth in rents since the end of 2017. The failed policies of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over many years have resulted in people paying record levels of rent with still too few protections from evictions.
“Young and single people are bearing the brunt of this massive increase in the cost of living, while investors and speculators profit. Rents grew up 8.3% nationally with a massive jump of 12.7% outside of Dublin.
“Ireland has become no country for young people, and despite many changes to the laws on rents, from this Minister and the last one all they have done is make small changes, always too little too late, without taking the deep imbalance between landlords and tenants.
“For years now the Labour Party has called for a broad suite of measures including a tax on vacant homes, a rent freeze, protection for deposits and restrictions the grounds for evictions.
“Dublin in particular is increasingly becoming a city for elites in society and it’s closing its doors on the people that make this place great – our artists, storytellers and young people. It’s also losing its heritage with so many of the next generation of Dubliner’s being forced to the country because they simply cannot afford to rent in this city.
“We need to tackle the affordability crisis in Ireland, and change how we think about renting in this country.”