Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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579. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration has been given to the introduction of some form of rent control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4879/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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581. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will introduce fair rent regulations based for example on changes in the CPI in the January 2012 to December 2013 period in order to address the growing housing crisis where spiralling rental prices are pushing families and persons into emergency homeless services and onto the street. [4890/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 579 and 581 together.

In the third quarter of 2014, rents were 5.6% higher nationally than in the same quarter of 2013, according to the most recent rent index from the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). Rents for houses were 4.3% higher while apartment rents were 7.3% higher than in the same quarter of 2013. In Dublin, which is seeing the highest rates of increase nationally, overall rents were higher by 9.5% although the rate of annual increase was down slightly.

Fundamentally, the main cause of rising rents is a lack of supply in the market and the recently published Social Housing Strategy 2020sets out clear, measureable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list. In addition, the implementation of the range of actions under the Government’s Construction 2020Strategy will support increased supply in the wider housing market.

A recent poll for the PRTB found that only 64% of tenants are aware of their rights under the 2004 Act, including in relation to rent increases. Tenants must be given 28 days’ notice of new rent and can make an application for dispute resolution to the PRTB where they feel the rent increase is in excess of the market rent. These provisions have effect notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in a lease or tenancy agreement.

The PRTB is developing a new education and communications strategy to address the awareness issue . The first element in the strategy, a ‘do you know’ campaign, commenced recently in the national press and will be rolled out in citizens information centres, libraries and other public spaces as well as on social media.

The Government is monitoring the rental market closely and is considering policy options in relation to achieving greater rent certainty. The options put forward in the report, Rent Stability in the Private Rented Sector, commissioned by the PRTB and published in Autumn 2014, form part of these considerations.