Housing minister admits some rents will rise under new legislation

While new bill offers fixed tenures to new tenancies, it also allows landlords reset rents to market rates where a renter leaves of their own volition

The changes will come into effect from March 1 and will progress through the Oireachtas in the coming weeks, but have come in for criticism from the opposition, who say the plan has 'shafted' renters.

The housing minister has conceded some rents will rise under new legislation reforming the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), but has defended the incoming rules critics claim will "shaft" renters.

James Browne on Tuesday brought to Cabinet new laws that would require landlords to disclose the amount of rent charged to tenants, as part of a slate of reforms to the RTB.

The legislation greenlights the establishment of a new rent price register, similar to the Property Price Register that tracks the sale of homes.

The changes will come into effect from March 1 and will progress through the Oireachtas in the coming weeks, but have come in for criticism from the opposition, who say the plan has "shafted" renters.

While the bill offers fixed tenures to new tenancies, it also allows landlords reset rents to market rates where a renter leaves of their own volition. 

At O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin on Tuesday, Mr Browne said the current regime had "killed investment".

"Why we're doing this is that we have rolling temporary measures around regulation, rent regulation in this country, and we know it has killed investment," he said.

Our housing crisis is a supply crisis, our rental crisis is a supply crisis, and our homeless crisis is a supply crisis.

The only way the housing crisis is going to be solved is by increasing supply, he said.

“What I brought is a very balanced and measured proposal in terms of a new bill to give us a permanent rent regulation in this country," Mr Browne said at a housing event on the northside of Dublin city.

"I don't understand why they [the opposition] are against strengthening tenants' rights, which this legislation will do in terms of its delivery.”

Asked if he accepted rents would rise, Mr Browne said some rents would.

"The Housing Agency pointed out that they do expect that there may be a certain amount of rent increases, but we know if we don't drive supply, rents are only going in one direction, and that's up, and have been going up now for over 10 years.

"So if we do nothing, which is not an option, rents are only going up," he said.

Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin said the new rules were "overly complex, deeply confusing and will be virtually impossible to enforce".

Labour's Conor Sheehan, meanwhile, said the bill created differences in how tenants were classed.

"Different rules for different tenancies, different treatment depending on how long someone has lived in their home, and loopholes for landlords will leave renters exposed, anxious and unsure of their rights. 

"This is not theoretical. The stories my team and I are hearing in my constituency office today are truly harrowing."