Sinn Féin's Housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has urged the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to strengthen enforcement of rent caps within Rent Pressure Zones.

His appeal follows recent research from the RTB and ESRI, revealing that over a third of renters in these zones experienced rent hikes exceeding 2% in the past year.

Deputy Ó Broin said: "The ESRI and RTB published new research looking at changes in rent over the last 12 months at the level of individual properties. The research shows than in Dublin, 29% of renters had increases of more than 2% and 26% of renters in other rent pressure zones had increases above the rent cap limit of 2%.

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"This means that between 40,000 and 50,000 tenants in rent pressure zones have had rent increases above the 2% cap. While there are a number of grounds on which a landlord may be exempt from the 2% cap, clearly this new data enables the RTB to determine the level of non-compliance with the rent caps in rent pressure zones.

"The RTB need to write to all of these landlords and establish whether the rent increases above 2% were in line with the rent pressure zone rules and where they are in breach of those rules. The RTB must also use their full powers to ensure all breaches of the rules are addressed.

"When added to the 25,000 tenancies not registered with the RTB identified by the CSO and RTB over the summer, it is clear that there are thousands – if not tens of thousands – of tenants why may have been subject to excessive rent increases over the last 12 months. Given the pressure on renters from the cost-of-living crisis this matter needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency."