‘Shambles' rent reforms move blasted as Govt accused of ‘making it up as they go along' amid landlord price hike fears
THE Government's rent reforms have again come under heavy fire after no Dail time was scheduled for the emergency legislation next week.
The decision, which was heavily blasted, was made despite claims that landlords will jack up prices before the regulations change.
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The Government has been accused of 'making it up as they go along'
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Part of the plan will see the two per cent cap on
However, there are fears that landlords in the 11 counties that are currently not designated rent pressure zones will pump up their prices before the
Following this criticism, the Government announced that they were introducing the new rent reforms in two separate pieces of legislation with the rent pressure zone extension to be dealt with in an emergency bill as soon as possible.
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Coalition leaders denied claims that they were caught out by the blunder with Tanaiste
However, the
Labour housing spokesman Conor Sheehan claimed the Government were 'making it up as they go along' with rental reforms that he labelled 'a shambles.'
He said: 'It's crazy that in an effort to calm the horses the Tánaiste was clearly making it up as he went along to avoid the ire of the Opposition.
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'Well, I have news for him and for the Housing Minister, their disastrous treatment of renters will not be forgotten for a very long time.'
Sinn Fein chief whip Padraig MacLochlainn said: 'The failure to include legislation for next week's Dail business demonstrates once again the shambles at the heart of the government's housing policy.'
Sinn Fein housing spokesman Eoin O Broin reacts to record number of homeless people
Housing Minister James Browne today defended his rental reforms and claimed that 'there were a few moving parts' to the legislation.
He said: 'There's always going to be a challenge around the complexity of doing anything like this, there's no one size fits all to bring a solution to this kind of complex situation.'
The Irish Property Owners Association today also took aim at the Government rental reforms as they claimed the changes could hit house prices and damage tourism.
The IPOA also claimed that landlords who currently have vacant properties are enticed to keep their property empty until the new changes kick in on March 1 next year when they will be able to rise their rents to market level.
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The Government's big rental reform strategy was launched this week
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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