DARRAGH O'BRIEN TD
  • HOME
  • About Darragh
  • News
  • Parliamentary Questions
    • Housing, Planning & Local Government PQ's
    • School PQs
    • Foreign Affairs PQS
    • Oral Questions
  • Newsletters
  • Videos
  • PHOTOS
  • FIANNA FAIL
  • CONTACT
  • DATA Protection Statement

News

Minister O’Brien notes Residential Tenancies Board’s Rent Index Report for Q3 2021

17/12/2021

 
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien has noted the Residential Tenancies Board’s Rent Index Report for Q3 2021 published today, Friday December 17th 2021. It is produced in conjunction with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). This Index Report is based on actual rents paid in respect of the 15,042 private tenancies that were newly registered with the RTB during Q3 2021 and does not provide a measure of the rental prices payable in respect of tenancies registered before that Quarter.
Nationally, private rents grew by 8.3 per cent in Q3 2021. This growth rate is higher than that of the previous quarter (7.0 per cent) and the highest since Q4 2017 (which recorded growth of 8.4 per cent). Standardised average rent stood at €1,397 in Q3 2021 – a quarterly increase of €44.
 
Minister Darragh O’Brien said: “As always, my Department will work closely with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to ensure RPZ legislation is fully enforced. We also note the significant fall in the number of new tenancies registered during Q3 2021.
“It is very important that we keep increasing public awareness of the suite of tenancy protections in place to regulate rent-setting under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021. Since 2019, the RTB has enhanced powers of investigation and sanctioning and additional resources to ensure that the full protections against unlawful rents in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) can be enforced. The RTB now has a dedicated webpage to publish the particulars of sanctions imposed on landlords, and this work continues to grow.
“In September, I formally asked the RTB to instigate a campaign to identify and pursue non-compliance with rent-setting responsibilities. This is now under way and I have been informed that hundreds of letters a day are currently issuing to landlords. The letters will notify landlords that, according to RTB records, there may be a breach of rent-setting rules in respect of a particular dwelling in a RPZ. If it transpires that no exemption to the rules apply and that there was a breach, they will need to arrange for the repayment of rent to their tenant or former tenant. If the RTB was not notified of the application of an exemption, the landlord will need to comply with the obligation to notify the RTB accordingly. The RTB may formally commence an investigation leading to a possible sanction being imposed in some cases.
“This is a complex area and it is critical to educate and raise awareness of landlord and tenant legal obligations in the rental sector. For example, landlords need to be aware that the rent controls in RPZs apply when creating new tenancies in existing rental properties. The amount of the rent paid under last tenancy will inform the maximum permissible rent for the new tenant. The RTB’s website has an RPZ calculator to help set lawful rents and detailed guidance on rent setting so there is no excuse for a landlord to set an unlawful rent in a RPZ. Any unlawful rent setting in RPZs will be dealt with in a serious manner by the RTB and enforcement will ensue to do right by tenants.
“The Government is serious in its efforts to curtail rent inflation. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2021 was enacted on the 11th of December and caps any rent increases in a RPZ at 2% per annum pro rata in RPZs, when HICP inflation is higher. The RTB will be enforcing this new rent cap.”

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    NEWS

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015

Darragh O'Brien TD


Address

Darragh O'Brien TD
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2

Telephone

T:  01-6183802

Email

At present, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am not holding my regular meetings across our towns and villages in North County Dublin. However, both I and my office are happy to speak to you and assist you with any issues you may have.

For all housing, planning or heritage related queries please don’t hesitate to contact:
Email: minister@housing.gov.ie
Phone: 01-8882000
Postal address: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6X0
 
For all constituency related queries please don’t hesitate to contact:
Email: Darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 01-6183802
Postal address: Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
 



  • HOME
  • About Darragh
  • News
  • Parliamentary Questions
    • Housing, Planning & Local Government PQ's
    • School PQs
    • Foreign Affairs PQS
    • Oral Questions
  • Newsletters
  • Videos
  • PHOTOS
  • FIANNA FAIL
  • CONTACT
  • DATA Protection Statement