Government set for crunch Rent Pressure Zone talks - here's what we can expect
The Government is facing a turbulent week as it finally looks set to make a decision on the contentious Rent Pressure Zone legislation.
As the plan to reform the renter rules is discussed at Cabinet on Tuesday, the opposition has warned of widespread protests to the reforms.
Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) legislation was introduced in 2016. It limited the amount by which rents in RPZs could be increased to 2 per cent or the level of inflation, whichever is less.
The legislation is due to lapse at the end of this year, with the Programme for Government committing to 'review the effectiveness' of RPZs.
Pending Cabinet approval on Tuesday, it is expected that rent caps of 2% will stay in place for existing dwellings. A new six-year tenancy rule will be implemented, along with a restriction on no-fault evictions. After six years, the rent can be increased to match market rates.
In a major change, landlords will also be allowed to increase the rents between tenancies. However, the rent cap will not apply to new-build apartments, as part of a Government push to increase the supply of apartments being built.
The Irish Mirror understands that additional protections will be put in place for tenants. This will include limiting the situations in which a person can be evicted from a property.
For smaller landlords, tenants can be told to leave the property if it is being sold or if family is moving in. However, the Irish Mirror understands that the list of eligible family members could be tightened.
For larger landlords, they will be allowed to remove tenants if they break contractual agreements only.
People Before Profit's Paul Murphy suggested that the Government's actions will drive rents even higher. He said: 'Rents nationally recently surpassed an average of €2,000 per month for the first time.
'The average rent in Dublin is now €2,500 per month and the rate of increase has accelerated to the highest rate in 20 years'.
'But the government's response to record-high rents is to change the RPZs to enable landlords to drive rents even higher.
'These are the actions of a government that is relentlessly focused on serving the needs of developers and landlords first, last and always. It should also be repeated that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry group TDs in the Dáil include many landlords'.
Sinn Féin's housing spokesman, Eoin O Broin, meanwhile, told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the Government was 'gaslighting' renters.
"When the Taoiseach said yesterday that this was a balanced package to protect renters and encourage investment, he is deliberately misleading the public," Mr Ó Broin said.
"He is gaslighting renters, and I'm not even sure he fully understands the extent to which they're putting huge numbers of people, young people, people approaching pension age, at enormous risk with even greater financial hardship, and in many cases, at risk of homelessness.'
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Irish Independent
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