Sinn Féin to table motion on rising rents

Rents across the country have risen sharply over recent months.

Sinn Féin is to use its Private Members time in the Dáil tomorrow to move a motion calling for action to end what it's described as "the crisis in the rental sector".

The bill, if passed, includes measures to reduce rents and provide real security of tenure.

The party says the system is in crisis, with rents across the country rising.

Cavan saw a 6.6% increase in Quarter 4 of last year, according to the Residential Tenancies Board, with surrounding counties also seeing increases. Westmeath and Longford saw rises of 18% and 19% respectively.

Local Sinn Féin Deputy Pauline Tully says the impact is being felt right across the country and isn't just confined to Dublin.

“The average monthly rent for a new tenancy in Dublin is now almost €2,000. Renting in Dublin has increased by 100% since 2011.

“Counties outside Dublin and the commuter belt are also feeling the squeeze. With many tenants in these counties unable to benefit from the limited protection provided by the rent pressure zone legislation."

She says there are a number of issues that need to be taken into account:

“The unsustainable rise in rents is accompanied by the shrinking in the number of affordable homes to rent as accidental landlords leave the market. This subsequently leads to a dramatic rise in the number of vacant possession Notices to Quit, which are now responsible for half of all evictions.

“This combination is leading to an increase in homelessness. The latest figures published by the Department of Housing last Friday show that we are now back to the levels of homelessness experienced before the Covid-19 ban on evictions introduced in 2020."

The Sinn Féin motion is being debated tomorrow evening. It would ban rent increases for 3 years, for both new and existing tenancies, with flexible tax credits for private renters.