Rent freeze needed in light of RTB Rent Index findings
- 8.2% annual increase in rents
- Raise the Roof protest this Saturday will demand change for renters
Labour housing spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan said government must commit to a comprehensive suite of measures for renters as rents continue to rise nationwide which must include a rent freeze.
Senator Moynihan said with average rents in Dublin over €2,000 government must address the core problem of supply in tandem with improving renters protections in the market.
Senator Moynihan said:
“It’s long past time for a comprehensive response from Government to the growing number of people squeezed in a rental market. As part of Budget 2023 the government announced an ill-thought through, panicked rent credit which is simply nonsensical without a rent freeze. The RTB figures clearly show that renters are suffering hard and deep, asked to pay extraordinary sums of money in rent just to keep a roof over their head.
“It’s abundantly clear to me that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are totally out of touch with the reality of the housing crisis. This is a huge generational issue, one that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil just don’t understand.
“With rents at over €2,000 there is an entire generation of people who feel locked out by the shambles in housing.
“This Saturday, we are taking to the streets to Raise the Roof and demand change for the hundreds of thousands of people struggling as a result of government failure to grasp the nettle. Piecemeal progress and tinkering around the edges is simply not good enough. We need radical action like a rent freeze while supply comes on stream to long term tackle the chaos in housing.
“Such measures must be coupled with more fundamental European style rights for renters so we can have a culture change in how we think about renting, like a renters transparency register, a right to rent an unfurnished apartment, a right to own a pet.
“There is not a day that goes by without people contacting my office looking for help. Words like ‘demoralising’ and ‘soul destroying’ come up frequently. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been on the side of landlords for too long. They’re happy to leave renters at risk of being exploited by landlords with unaffordable rents and little to no security of tenure. Meanwhile we totally lag behind other countries on renters’ rights. This Saturday, we will Raise the Roof and demand government change their approach when it comes to housing.”