A new survey has found a 26% national increase in the number of tenants in need of advice and support for rent reviews over the past year.

The research by housing charity Threshold added that it is "pushing families to the brink of homelessness" and that the Government must now "act immediately" to address concerns.

The charity was responding to the latest report from Daft.ie which showed that steep increases in rents in recent months are putting many at risk of homelessness, with rents increasing by an average of 11.7% this year.

The Daft.ie Rental Report said that the average rent nationwide rose by almost 4% in Q3, while rents in Dublin are now 10% higher than their 2008 peak. The highest increase was in Meath, where rents have increased by 15.8% in the past 12 months.

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According to the report, if a family seeking a three-bed house in Dublin is in receipt of rent supplement with a limit of €1,300pm, they are now 29% below current market rent.

In response to the growing challenges being faced by tenants in the private rented sector, Threshold operates a Tenancy Protection Service (TPS) in Dublin and the commuter counties of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow, Cork city and surrounding areas and Galway.

The purpose of the TPS is to prevent tenancy breakdown and the occurrence of homelessness. Last year alone, the service prevented 8,550 people (including 4,483 children) from becoming homeless.

Commenting on the figures, Stephen Large, Manager of Threshold in Dublin, said: "The latest Daft.ie report released confirms that the exponential rate of rent increases is having devastating impacts on social cohesion and without urgent action, rents will continue to rise.

"Indeed last week's figures released by the Department of Housing show that the number of homeless families in Ireland is higher than it has ever been, which is simply unacceptable.

"The increase in the number of people approaching Threshold for advice on rent reviews and increases underlines the pressure tenants are under. If these issues are not addressed, we will see the number of homeless families continue to rise."

(JP/MH)