The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2018 has been signed into law, ensuring student-specific accommodation let under licence is included under existing Rent Pressure Zones.

As well as securing rent predictability for students, the Bill also includes the application of dispute resolution procedures under the 2004 Act to purpose-built student accommodation occupied under licence agreement.

Welcoming the amendment, Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O'Connor TD said: "Increased availability of accommodation is the most appropriate way to deliver choice and value for money to students seeking accommodation during their studies – but this takes time.

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"In the interim, I committed to ensuring that students would not again be subject to rent increases of over 18% as seen in two privately run complexes in early 2018. My officials have worked closely with officials from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to ensure that students, living in student specific accommodation, will be able to avail of the same rent predictability measures as other tenants, whether they are in that accommodation on foot of a lease or a license.

"Provisions designed to deliver on this objective were delivered in recent amendments within the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (no. 2) Bill 2018 by my colleague, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy TD and I welcome the delivery of rent predictability for students living under licence in student accommodation."

(CM/MH)