Rental accommodation is more expensive than at the same stage last year in every county in Ireland, according to the latest quarterly Rental Report by Daft.ie.
In Munster, rents rose by an average of 4.2% in the year to September 2014, compared to static rents a year previously.
In Clare, rents were on average 3.3% higher in the third quarter of 2014 than a year previously. The average advertised rent is now €562, a fall of 26% from the peak.
Nationally, rents have risen by over 11% in the space of twelve months with the national average rent now €933 compared to €842 a year previously.
Dublin’s annual inflation rate has slowed for the first time in five years, but prices have still risen by over 14% in the capital since the third quarter of 2013.
In the other city centres, rents continue to climb. Waterford experienced an annual rise of 4%, Limerick 6%, Galway 7% and Cork 8%. Most of Dublin’s neighbouring counties also continue to see double digit inflation with Meath witnessing growth of 11%, Wicklow 13% and Kildare 14%.
The number of properties available to rent has continued to plummet. On November 1, there were fewer than 5,400 properties to rent nationwide, the lowest figure since May 2007.
Ronan Lyons, economist at TCD and author of the Daft Report, said: “In many ways, the lack of available properties to rent is more concerning than the high rental rates, although clearly the two phenomena are inextricably linked. The only silver lining is the fact that this quarter was the first time in five years that rent inflation in the capital eased somewhat. However, even if an easing in Dublin inflation continues and stops the affordability crisis from worsening, it does nothing to change the availability crisis.”
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.