Peadar Tóibín
Question:429. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider extending the rent pressure zone across the country to all areas. [39734/23]
View answerWednesday, 20 September 2023
Questions (429, 518)
Ivana Bacik
Question:518. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to extend the duration of rent pressure zones beyond their current expiry date of 31 December 2024; if not, whether work has begun on plans for a step down from the regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40162/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 429 and 518 together.
I have no plans to apply Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) rent controls to every tenancy in the country. In all cases, section 19(1) of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) prohibits the setting of a rent that exceeds market rent. The Housing Agency and the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) continually monitor rents across the country and if any area meets the designation criteria under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA), it will be designated as a RPZ.
As part of the RTA, the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 taking account of the constitutionally protected property rights of landlords, introduced a targeted Rent Predictability Measure to moderate rent increases in those parts of the country where rents are highest and rising fastest. Rent controls are applied on the basis of the objective evidence available via the RTB Quarterly Rent Index Report. Currently, 77% of tenancies across the country are subject to rent controls.
Section 24A of the RTA provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to me, as Minister, that an area should be considered as a RPZ. Following receipt of such a proposal, I, as Minister, request the Director of the RTB to conduct an assessment of the area to establish whether or not it meets the criteria for designation and to report to me on whether the area should be designated as a RPZ.
Each RTB Quarterly Rent Index Report includes a table of the data used to establish whether each local electoral area (LEA) fulfils the criteria for designation as a RPZ.
My Department is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the private rental sector. This review will take into account the significant regulatory changes, including rent controls, over the past several years in the residential rental market, and will report on how our housing system can be enhanced to provide an efficient, affordable, viable, safe and secure framework for both landlords and tenants. The review includes consideration of submissions made as part of a public consultation process which ran from 26 June to 8 August 2023 and targeted engagement through a Stakeholder engagement forum on the review, which was held on 6 July. Work is progressing on finalising this review.