The latest Daft.ie report confirms that rents in Ireland are more unaffordable and unsustainable than ever, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“Today’s figures show that rents are now beyond any reasonable level. Last year, advertised rents rose by an average of 5.7 per cent, which brings the average rent on the open market nationally to €1,956 – a staggering 43 per cent higher than pre-Covid levels in 2020.
“The situation is particularly bleak in Dublin, where rents in the final quarter of 2024 were up four per cent on the previous year, coming in at €2,481. For most earners, this level of rent is simply unsustainable.
“Yet despite this crisis, the Government wants rents to go even higher to suit investor funds. The Social Democrats have called for a three-year rent freeze and for Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) to be retained until a new system of rent regulation – one that offers proper protections for tenants – is put in place.
“The Government’s housing model is broken. We don’t need more expensive build to rent apartments provided by investor funds. A genuine reset of housing policy – as called for by the Government’s own Housing Commission – will instead require the accelerated delivery of homes that are genuinely affordable to buy or rent.”
February 24, 2025