Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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523. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government about the immediate measures he will take to address the spiralling cost of rent in Dublin and other large cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4914/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015, enacted on 4 December 2015, introduced a number of measures to address rent stability and housing supply. In relation to rent stability, the Act provides, inter alia, that the minimum period between rent reviews for tenancies is being increased from 12 to 24 months and this new provision will apply for a 4 year period. In addition, the minimum period of notice of new rent is increased from 28 days to 90 days and longer notice periods for the termination of long-term tenancies have been introduced. Each of these new provisions commenced on enactment.Further provisions to support rent stability in the 2015 Act include:

- that notice of new rent sent must be in a prescribed form, include details of dispute resolution procedures available through the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) and be accompanied by details of rent in respect of 3 comparable dwellings in the area;

- that notification of a rent increase to the PRTB will include, among other things, a signed statement by the tenant that they are aware of their rights in relation to rent and rent reviews;

The most recent PRTB rent index shows that in the fourth quarter of 2015, rents were 9.8% higher nationally than in the same quarter of 2014 although the rate of increase slowed in the final quarter of last year, with a slightly lower growth in Dublin than elsewhere. However, it is expected that the impact of the new rent certainty measures will be reflected in the statistics for the first quarter of 2016 when available in a couple of months.

Ultimately, the key to addressing rising rents in the medium to long term is through increasing the supply of housing and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts, including through Construction 2020; A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sectorand the Social Housing Strategy 2020.