Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy TD has today called on the government to bring in nationwide rent caps as figures from Daft.ie show that rents across the country have once more reached an all-time high.
Today’s Daft.ie report states that the average monthly rent nationwide during the first quarter of 2018 was €1,261, with average Dublin rents at €1,875, up 12.4 per cent.
Commenting on the report Deputy Murphy said:
“These figures show that rents are continuing to rise to totally unacceptable levels throughout the country, with Dublin the worst hit. Rents in our capital city are now 30%, or €430 a month, higher than their previous peak a decade ago.
““Many people, including families and young people, are clearly struggling to pay such astronomical rents, and this is having a major impact on the quality their lives. Some are faced with having to put money aside for rent instead of buying food, with no money left over at all to enjoy any kind of social life.
“The ongoing chronic lack of supply means that we are seeing annual rent inflation of more than 10 per cent. The Minister for Housing needs to fact facts – the only way to make rents affordable is to apply proper rent certainty measures and that means linking rents nationwide to the Consumer Price Index.
“The relentless rent increases are of course driven by the chronic shortage of quality and affordable homes to both buy and rent. The situation will only continue to get worse until the government steps up the pace of construction to get houses and apartments built in our cities and towns.”
ENDS