
Minister accused of 'talking out of both sides of his mouth' with rent pressure zone plans
Housing minister James Browne has come under fire plans to overhaul rent pressure zones, with opposition TDs saying it will strip away protections for renters.
Sinn Féin, Labour, and the Social Democrats have all criticised Mr Browne for confirming that changes will be made to rent pressure zones (RPZs) — although the actual proposal is yet to be unveiled.
Mr Browne's comments came in an interview with the Irish Examiner, where he said that rent pressure zones — introduced in 2016 to stop big rent increases — are 'significantly inhibiting' the delivery of new apartments in Dublin.
'There has to be change. There's no question about that. The current system is significantly inhibiting the delivery of apartments in Dublin,' Mr Browne said.
I think all of the research is pointing to that direction, and it's just obvious from the fact that apartments are not being delivered
Mr Browne said that while rent pressure zones would be changed, he intended to introduce 'significant protections' for renters — including looking at reforms to renters rights.
The Housing Agency has provided Mr Browne with an options paper on reform, which includes the outright abolition of rent pressure zones, retention, or changing how much landlords can increase rents each year.
Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin highlighted the recent Daft.ie rent report, which found the average rent in Ireland is now €2,053 per month. This is the first time the €2,000 mark has been breached.
'I have to say: The minister is gaslighting renters and he's talking out of both sides of his mouth. He's telling the industry, on the one hand, that he is going to buckle under pressure and allow them to jack up rents even further and — at the same time — he's promising to protect renters,' Mr Ó Broin said.
'You cannot do both of those things.'
'Limited tax incentive'
Conor Sheehan, Labour's housing spokesperson, said renters must not be 'thrown to the wolves to satiate investors'.
To deal with the issue of a lack of investment in Dublin, Mr Sheehan suggested a bespoke solution such as a 'limited tax incentive' for investors looking to build apartments in the capital.
Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne said his party would 'vociferously' oppose any changes to rent pressure zones.
Some of Mr Browne's ideas have been welcomed, however, with Labour and the Social Democrats cautiously optimistic about initial talks for a State-led savings account to fund housebuilding.
The housing minister said he is currently considering the introduction of a scheme where the public could invest savings, with funds going towards the construction of homes.
'It is something we're looking at. We have to be very careful what it looks like, how it's funded,' Mr Browne said.
In a letter to Mr Browne, Mr Hearne said he had spoken in the Dáil previously about such a scheme and added that his party would be happy to engage with Government on the matter.
'Rather than chasing unreliable global institutional funds to build unaffordable rental homes, here is a mechanism to provide additional sourcing of private finance that can deliver affordable housing,' Mr Hearne wrote.
'We need new ways to fund housing to make a difference to the lives of a generation locked out of homeownership and denied affordable rental homes.'
Mr Sheehan also welcomed the proposal, saying Labour had included it as part of their general election manifesto.
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Dublin Live
29 minutes ago
- Dublin Live
Housing Minister does not know when rents will drop as new RPZ measures confirmed
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Housing Minister James Browne has admitted that he does not know when his new plans for Rent Pressure Zone will result in lower rents. The Fianna Fáil TD confirmed, however, that after six years, all tenants could face massive rent increases as landlords will be allowed to "reset" rents to market rates. The Dáil heard that thousands of rents will increase annually as renters voluntarily leave their tenancies all the time. Cabinet agreed on Tuesday to extend and modify the Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) legislation, which is due to lapse at the end of the year. This will see rent increases capped at 2 per cent annually for new tenancies. Rents in new build apartments will be linked to Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rates. These rules will be applied nationwide. From March 1 2026, tenancies of unlimited duration will be introduced through rolling six-year tenancies. Small landlords, those with three properties or fewer, can only terminate a tenancy during the six-year period if they face hardship, such as separation, homelessness, emigration from abroad, or bankruptcy. As reported by the Irish Mirror on Tuesday, the list of family members that a landlord can expel a tenant for will be tightened to parents, children or a spouse. At the end of each six-year tenancy, a smaller landlord will have the right to terminate a tenancy if they are selling, renovating, giving it to a family member or ceasing to rent. Landlords with four or more tenancies will not be able to end a tenancy where the tenant has complied with their obligations, except in very limited circumstances. However, all landlords will have the right to reset rent where the rent is below market at the end of each six-year tenancy, unless a 'no fault eviction' occurs. This, Minister Browne suggested, means that there should not be a large increase in rents until 2032. This will not affect existing tenancies, Taoiseach Micheál Martin insisted in the Dáil. Minister Browne said that the Government was not portraying the changes as a "silver bullet" and said that the only way rents will come down is through increased supply. He argued that new apartments are being exempt from the 2% cap as international investors are "not looking at our State". When asked if rents would fall over the next 24 months, Mr Browne refused to answer the question with a yes or no. Instead, he said he "expects rents to fall over time" and he wanted them to come down as quickly as possible. He added: "What that particular length of time is, I wouldn't be able to predict." He continued: "If we get that supply moving, we will start and see rents going down. "But if we continue doing what we're doing at the moment, we're simply not going to see those rents coming down." Minister Browne also said he would like "maximum transparency" and he would like to see a rent register implemented. However, he acknowledged there was no Government agreement to do so. In the Dáil, the changes to RPZ legislation were torn to shreds by the opposition. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald questioned the ability to increase rents to market rates once renters leave voluntarily, noting that thousands of people voluntarily leave tenancies every year. She said: "You say or claim that landlords will only be allowed to reset rent to the market rate if a tenant leaves voluntarily. "Well Taoiseach, tens of thousands of renters leave tenancies voluntarily every single year. "Under your proposals, as one renter walks out the door, they will be replaced by another whose rent will have balloons. Students will be amongst the first hit by your actions" Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.


Irish Independent
2 hours ago
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Irish Independent
2 hours ago
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