The Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) says it is considering bringing in a raft of new charges in response to the Government's rent caps.

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A war of words has broken out between landlords and John Halligan, with the minister insisting the “bastards” should be jailed and saying that a “sizeable minority” of them are making money out of people’s misfortunes.

Recent reports highlight the amount of rent that is being asked for new letting. However, most tenancies have been in place for a considerable time and most landlords have not increased their rents to market level.

With rents rising, we asks experts what they think needs happen to ease the housing crisis.

New legislation introduced in a piecemeal manner is killing investment in the private rental sector. 

Landlords are calling on the next government to incentivise the return of thousands of properties abandoned because of their owners’ inability to refurbish to the required standards.

If the Government proceeds with further regulation of the housing market, already under pressure landlords will be squeezed out of the market, thereby reducing available accommodation and causing further homelessness.

The Labour Party has confirmed that proposals by Environment Minister Alan Kelly for rent controls to be linked to the rate of inflation are unlikely to be introduced by the Government.

The Simon Community has criticised the Government for failing to introduce rent certainty measures in the budget.

Stephen Faughnan of the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA), tells us “71% of landlords have insufficient income from their rental property to cover the mortgage repayment. This is an appalling statistic and unsustainable”. (Irish Examiner, Letters, August 19)

Increased costs levied by the State is putting the private rental market under pressure and tenants are suffering.

A meeting of members of the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) in Cork in recent days drew a capacity attendance and denounced a number of government measures. We heard that rent control or certainty cannot be reintroduced in Ireland as a viable solution to the housing situation.

At a meeting in Wynne’s Hotel this week, 300 Irish Property Owners’ Association (IPOA) members vented their fury at the proposed introduction of rent control/certainty by the Government.

A Minister has claimed that landlords “may not have got a full understanding” of controversial government proposals to address arrears in water charges payments.

It is generally accepted that we have a housing crisis, and insufficient social housing is forcing people into the private rental market.

Landlords will hit renters with a €1,000 "water charge deposit" in addition to the existing rent deposit on a new home if they are forced to act as Irish Water’s "collection agents".

Members of the public who return blank application forms in protest against water charges will be processed as having registered with the utility, Irish Water has confirmed.

A driver has avoided a prison sentence in the first case of careless driving causing death to be dealt with by the courts.

Landlords have defended themselves from claims they are to blame for the housing crisis and said the Government should take responsibility.

Landlords could face fines for failing to safeguard windows under a review of regulations after it emerged that inspectors are powerless to insist landlords install safety catches.

An organisation of landlords has raised concern over a proposal by Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan that a law be introduced to cap private rentals.

We at the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) have accused the Government of what we call “taxsault” — assault by taxation.

Landlords have claimed new regulations on minimum standards for rental accommodation, due to come into force next month, could lead to homelessness on a large scale and force tenants to pay more for alternative accommodation.

I am compelled to respond to the disingenuous letter from Stephen Faughnan (May 16) claiming that most tenants in the private rental sector are happy with landlords.

RTE aired a Prime Time programme on May 10 outlining some dire conditions in the private rental sector, consisting of four cases of the most exceptional circumstances.

I REFER to the recent letter in your paper from Stephen Faughnan from the Irish Property Owners Association (Jan 19).

WE call on Minister Burton to publish the report which details her department’s study on the rental sector and shows where rent supplement is more than market rate.

SOCIALIST TDs said they would “stand to the very end” against a new property charge and but would not say if they were willing to go to jail over their boycott.

PROPERTY owners are “facing bankruptcy” following the Government’s decision to scrap Section 23 relief and have said they will challenge the legality of the decision.

THE chairman of the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) has called for the Government to set aside €50 million for homeless causes from the €4.6 billion to be paid by property owners in 2007.

PUBLICANS Hugh O’Regan and Paraic Dunning are to go ahead with development works on their €16m extension to the Morrison Hotel on Ormond Quay, Dublin, following a decision of the High Court yesterday.