Labour calls for rent brake in Government’s rent rule changes
Labour calls for rent brake in Government’s rent rule changes - The Labour Party
– Without a rent brake, rents will spiral
Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has called on the Minister for Housing to halt the proposed changes to rental law, as Cabinet considers new changes, warning that the plans will drive rents higher, confuse tenants and weaken protections for families already in crisis.
Short of scrapping the legislation, he called for a rent break as a simple safeguard that limits how quickly rents can rise during periods of rapid inflation or market shock, preventing sudden and excessive increases that price people out of their homes. Deputy Sheehan said he formally put this proposal to the Minister in writing last week, but the Minister failed to engage with it.
Deputy Sheehan said the legislation should be scrapped, but at an absolute minimum must include a rent brake to protect renters from sharp and sudden increases, and he called on the Minister for Housing to act now before further damage is done to the rental sector.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“What the Minister is bringing to Cabinet today is a mess of confusing and fragmented rules that will be impossible to enforce in the real world. Different rules for different tenancies, different treatment depending on how long someone has lived in their home, and loopholes for landlords will leave renters exposed, anxious and unsure of their rights. This is not theoretical. The stories my team and I are hearing in my constituency office today are truly harrowing. People cannot find anywhere to live. Families are stuck in deeply uncertain situations, afraid of losing the roof over their heads. This legislation will make that fear worse, not better.
“I wrote to the Minister last week to set out my serious concerns about the new Bill and the upward pressure it will place on rents across the private rental sector. I urged himto provide for a rent brake, yet that warning has clearly been ignored. We already know, based on RTB figures, that the median length of a tenancy is just three and a half years. That means the majority of tenancies will turn over within six years. Under the Government’s proposals, that turnover risks locking in much higher rents for everyone in a very short space of time. Once rents ratchet up, they do not come back down. This approach bakes in higher costs and condemns renters to years of escalating insecurity.
“I have been clear that the market rent reset element of this Bill should be scrapped entirely. It represents a fundamental failure to understand the reality renters face. But if the Government insists on pushing ahead with this legislation, it must, at the very least, include a rent brake. A rent brake would act like a pressure valve in a heating system. It could be used to moderate rent increases when prices rise too fast or to prevent sudden and excessive hikes that push people out of their homes overnight. This is a practical, sensible safeguard that would protect renters and provide the stability the Government claims it wants in the rental sector.
“In response to my concerns, the Minister said in the Dáil last week that all proposals would be examined and given a fair assessment. If that commitment means anything, then Government must now accept the need for a rent brake. Renters cannot afford more half measures, more complexity, or more ideology dressed up as reform. They need clear rules, strong protections and immediate relief from relentless rent increases.
“This legislation, as it stands, should not proceed. Government must either scrap these proposals or amend them to include a meaningful rent brake that actually protects renters. Cabinet has a choice today. It can side with landlords and loopholes, or it can act in the public interest and protect families, workers and young people from being priced out of their homes. Labour is calling on the Minister and Government to do the right thing and change course now.”