Empty homes and rental loophole
Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised concern that landlords are leaving homes vacant to bypass rent pressure zone rules and push up rents. The Taoiseach said the Government would consider the Bill and is working on vacancy and renter protections.
We are in the middle of a housing crisis. We have record rents, record house prices, record numbers of adults living in their childhood bedrooms and record levels of homelessness. Given this, why is the Government incentivising landlords to keep homes empty? A prominent financial adviser has announced that he tells some of his landlord clients to leave rental accommodation vacant for two years because if homes are left empty for two years, rent regulations do not apply. Landlords who do this can jack up their rents far in excess of the 2% cap that is supposed to exist. It really is perverse that the Government is facilitating a loophole that encourages landlords to keep homes empty. Leaving homes empty in the middle of a housing and homelessness crisis should never be an attractive financial option. The Social Democrats are putting forward a Bill to shut down this loophole. Will the Taoiseach support that Bill?
Comment on this
We will certainly take a look at the Bill and engage in good faith on it. We have brought in a number of measures to try to ensure vacancy is addressed and that renters are protected through RPZs and other measures. We will look at the Bill in good faith. I am happy to engage and will ask the Minister for housing to do that.