No additional protections for students in private sector under new rental rules, Minister admits

Irish Independent

8 hours ago

As new legislation is set to be rushed through the Dáil this week to see all current tenancies brought into an Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ), concerns have been raised in relation to the new rent rules set to come in on March 1, 2026.
Tenancies after that date will be subject to a six year tenancy agreement and landlords will be allowed to reset rents to market rates after six years.
If during those six years, a tenant leaves their rental accommodation voluntarily, the landlord will also be allowed reset the rent.
However, concerns were raised in relation to students who rent for a limited period of time for the academic year and for trainee doctors who regularly move around the country, which will see those groups renting subject to hikes in rent on a regular basis.
Speaking after cabinet agreed on the legislation to extend RPZs, Mr Browne said that while measures would be looked at for student specific accommodation, measures for students in the private market would not be introduced.
'We're working out issues around students while working over the bill. I'm meeting with Minister James Lawless later today to see what proposals we can do to ensure that students are protected in student specific accommodation,' Mr Browne said.
'However, in the private rental sector, as it is at the moment, there won't be any special measures put in, in terms of the private rental sector, it would become impossible to police or to manage in those circumstances.'
The minister said it would be difficult to determine if someone was a student, be it full time or part time, and then work that into legislation.
'There's always, I suppose, challenges like that, students, nurses, Gardai, doctors, consultants. So there will be no special exemptions in current law for people in that particular situation, and won't be under the new legislation either, as drafted,' the minister said.
'In terms of student specific accommodation, I am engaging with Minister Lawless to work out how we ensure that students may be coming in one year and leaving. That's a very different particular set of circumstances.
'But I think to try and engineer into the legislation that a landlord would then have to identify what is that person's role, are they a student, are they a full time student, part time student, or what qualifies a student? It will be unworkable.'
Meanwhile, Mr Browne confirmed that former HSE CEO Paul Reid will be on €50,000 per year as chair of the new planning authority, An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The new body will replace An Bord Pleanála and will be expected to work towards new timelines for applications.
'The planning commission is absolutely essential. It's going to have within it, statutory timelines and other measures.
'The Planning Commission is probably the single most important agency we have in this state. It decides not only housing and how quickly that can be delivered, but also our transport, our education and our hospitals,' Mr Browne said.
Mr Reid will be expected to have a hands on role in this new planning authority, Mr Browne said.
'I identified Paul Reid as somebody having that governance experience, that management experience, because this is going to be a real hands-on role.
'Mr. Reid would be expected to be very hands on in an almost daily basis, engaging with the CEO to ensure that this change in management happens as well with this new body,' he added.