Election 2024: Renting — A place to live is a basic need that profit alone will never deliver

My message to the next Dáil: An eviction ban, a rent freeze, and compulsory purchase orders would begin to address Ireland’s housing crisis, writes Emily Crowley

Emily Crowley: ‘Some renters get a horrible gut-wrenching feeling in their stomach on seeing their landlord’s number pop up on their phone: What if this is it?' Picture: Denis Minihane

I am a seasoned renter. I have been a rental tenant since I finished college about seven years ago — which, to some, might sound like a badge of honour, but in reality, it’s more of a battle wound.

My most recent experience of renting in Ireland was with a friend in an apartment in Cork City, but we were inevitably served our notice to quit in August 2023, meaning we had to vacate by last March.