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The introduction of rent pressure zones are not stopping rent increases, Sinn Fein has said.
The party's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD made the comment after an RTB report revealed the annual increase in rents across the State is 6.4%.
Mr Ó Broin also called on Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to urgently rethink the failing rental policy.
He said: "The data confirms that the government’s policy is not working.
"Within the rent pressure zones rents are breaching the 4% cap. In Dublin the average rent was €1,511 in Q4 of 2017, up 5.2% on 2016.
"In the Dublin commuter belt counties of Meath, Wicklow and Kildare the average rent is now €1,103, an increase of 7.5%. Meath rents are up 11%, Wicklow rents are up 9% and Kildare rents are up 6%. In Cork City, rents are up 5.2%.
"As Sinn Féin warned, those areas outside the rent pressure zones are seeing dramatic rent increases. In Sligo rents have increased by a massive 29% since 2016. In Limerick City increase was 10% and rents in Waterford City have increased by 7.4%. In Mayo and Westmeath the increase is 13%.
"Sadly it confirms what Sinn Féin stated when voting against the legislation in December 2016. The introduction is rent pressure zones are not stopping rent increases. They are also creating a two tier rental market.
"We need real rent certainty. This can only be achieved by linking rents to an index such as the CPI. Until Government does this renters will continue to struggle with ever increasing and unaffordable rents."
(CD/MH)
