New tenants should be told how much previous rent was - Labour

A rent register is required to show new tenants what previous tenants paid for the property before entering a lease agreement, it has been proposed. 

In response to the publication of the Residential Tenancy Board’s Q4 2022 Rent Index, Labour Leader and Housing Spokesperson Ivana Bacik TD has called on the Government to pass Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill and, in particular, to introduce a rent register to allow prospective tenants to see what previous tenants paid before entering a lease agreement.

Deputy Bacik said with average rents for new tenancies in Dublin standing at €2,063 per month, the Government must address renters’ protections in the market and must also grapple with spiralling rents in Rent Pressure Zones.

The latest Rent Index showed that rent increased by 7% in the final months of 2022. 

There are now 16 counties in the Republic of Ireland where the average rents monthly rents are now €1,000 per month. 

Deputy Bacik said: “It is long past time for a comprehensive response from Government to the growing number of people squeezed in a rental market.

"The RTB figures clearly show that renters are suffering hard and deep, asked to pay extraordinary sums of money in rent just to keep a roof over their heads.

“It’s abundantly clear to me that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are totally out of touch with the reality of the housing crisis. There is not a day that goes by without people contacting my office looking for help and conveying to me the turmoil which is caused by the housing disaster, high rents, and insecurity of tenure.

“If passed, Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill would go a significant way towards guaranteeing security and affordability for renters," Deputy Bacik said.