Rise in Tipperary rents reconfirms escalating costs for tenants

Sinn Féin general election candidate for Tipperary, Ciara McCormack has expressed her concerns at the latest rent spike in Tipperary, as confirmed by the latest report from the Residential Tenancies Board for the second quarter of 2018.

“The latest report from the Residential Tenancies Board show that rents continue to spiral out of control. This is compounding an already severe housing crisis and putting more pressure on services trying to alleviate arrears and emergency accommodation.

“In Tipperary, the average cost of renting a house in the last quarter was recorded at €655. This is a €40 increase in comparison to last year. Five years ago the average rate stood at €525.

“In Clonmel the rate is excessively high at €742, followed by Nenagh at €714, Cashel and Tipp Town at €672, Carrick on Suir at €646 and Thurles at approximately €600.

“What is more worrying amongst the figures is the emergence of a two tier rental market.

“The RTB report indicates that annual rent rises in sitting tenancies grew by 4.9%, and new tenancies by 8.4%.

“Sinn Féin believes that a three year rent freeze should be imposed on existing tenancies and new tenancies should be capped at the RTB’s standardised rent index by county or LEA.

“To help make rents more affordable we would also introduce a temporary refundable rent relief for all renters. This would give hard pressed tenants one month’s rent back annually.”

“Sinn Féin are leading the way to solve the current housing crisis for which the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael government policies are responsible. It’s a simple case of supply and demand that is creating a cost of living crisis for everyone. Eoin Murphy has failed epically, Fianna Fáil have kept him in his job.”