Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Around this time last year, the then Government introduced the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill to much fanfare. Among its provisions, rent certainty measures were introduced on 4 December 2015. They were not perfect by any means, but they were something. Their effect was that landlords could not increase rents for a two-year period.

However, there was a retrospective element to this measure. For tenancies that were in existence in December 2014, the clock started ticking from then.

Those tenants had protection for a two-year period but the two years are up next week on 3 December. If rent certainty measures are not extended urgently for those very tenants many more families will face massive hikes in their rent, particularly in the case of property controlled by the institutional landlords and by vulture funds. The longer we go without an extension, the more renters that will be affected and the numbers will increase week by week and month by month. It is inevitable that the crisis in homelessness will become even more acute if the Government does not act urgently. Even with the limited controls rents generally went up by about 12% in the past year and they are forecast to go up by at least the same amount in the coming year. Those families who lose their rent certainty next week and in the coming weeks will likely face huge rent hikes in excess of 20%. The Taoiseach needs to act urgently on this matter. For those families whose rent protection expires on 3 December, next week, he must extend their rent freeze to prevent them facing huge hikes in their rent, which will inevitably lead to many more families facing homelessness.

Does the Taoiseach realise that a couple of nights ago, on a very cold winter night, there were 210 people sleeping rough in the Dublin area alone? Those shameful numbers are set to increase exponentially from next week on unless he takes urgent action. Will the Taoiseach act now to prevent the situation becoming even worse? If he does not, it is inevitable that we will see more families on our streets in the coming weeks and months.

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