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Housing Minister admits rents may go up due to new RPZ plans

Housing Minister admits rents may go up due to new RPZ plans

Dublin Live4 hours ago

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Housing Minister James Browne has conceded that rents 'may go up in certain cases' due to his new Rent Pressure Zone plans.
The Fianna Fail TD also admitted that the housing target of 41,000 in 2025 is 'no longer realistic'.
The RPZs restrict the amount a landlord can increase rents by 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Nationwide RPZs came into effect from midnight. The President confirmed last night that he had signed the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 into law following its passage through the Dail and the Seanad this week.
More sweeping measures will be introduced next March that will see tenants enter into six-year contracts.
However, landlords will be able to increase the rent to market rates either at the end of the six-year period or whenever a tenant leaves voluntarily. Minister Browne conceded that some rents may increase under the plans.
He said: 'The only way we can get rents down is to increase supply. That's having a certain system in place for tenants, for landlords and investors.
'The current system is clearly not working. The Housing Agency report made that very clear, we have one of the toughest rent control systems in the world, and it is clearly impacting on supply. Rents may go up in certain cases. I certainly hope they don't.'
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