Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 April 2017
24. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether the application of the RPZ 4% rent limit to RAS, HAP and SCHEP leases runs the risk of landlords withdrawing from the leases and putting the current tenants at risk of homelessness. [17085/17]
View answerWhere an area is designated as a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ), the rent limits apply to all tenancies supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and secured by Rental Availability Agreements which are utilised in the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and RAS-type arrangements under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). However, the RPZ provisions do not generally apply to other (long-term) contracts agreed under the SHCEP programme.
My Department continues to monitor the impact of Rent Pressure Zones in relation to social housing supports that operate in the private rental sector. Given that each of these schemes are different in their operation, specific advice has been provided by my Department to local authorities where required and further advice will be provided in due course.
The introduction of the Rent Predictability measures in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) will assist local authorities and tenants to secure units within the private rental market at a more sustainable and predictable cost. The limits on rent increases in RPZs apply to all rental properties in the designated area, except those that are new to the rental sector or those that have been substantially refurbished. There should, therefore, be no incentive resulting from the Rent Predictability measure for landlords to leave any of the schemes referred to.
However, I have undertaken to carry out a review, in June this year, of the Rent Predictability provisions introduced under the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016. At that point, the provisions will have been in place for 6 months and it will be possible to ascertain their effectiveness and whether any changes need to be made. The issues raised by the Deputy will be considered, as necessary, in the context of that review.
