Ennis and Shannon ineligible for Rent Pressure Zone designation

NEITHER the Ennis nor Shannon areas currently meet the required criteria for them to be designated Rent Pressure Zones, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has told the Dáil.

Clare TD Cathal Crowe asked the Minister if he would consider a rollout of rent pressure zones to include centres such as the two Clare towns.

Explaining how areas are deemed Rental Pressure Zones, the Minister outlined the specific criteria to achieve the designation.

Firstly, if the information relating to the area, as determined by reference to the Residential Tenancies Board Rent Index quarterly report, shows that the annual rate of increase in the average rent for that area is more than 7% in each of at least four of the six quarters preceding the period immediately prior to the date of the Housing Agency’s proposal.

Secondly, the average rent for the area in the last quarter, as determined by reference to the information used to compile each RTB Rent Index quarterly report, is – in the case of counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow or an LEA in any one of those counties – above the average rent in the State, excluding rents in the 4 Dublin Local Authority areas.

In the case of any LEA outside of the Greater Dublin Area (i.e. Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow), if rent is above the average in the State, excluding rents in the Greater Dublin Area.

He added, “Each RTB quarterly Rent Index Report includes a summary table of the data used to establish whether each Local Electoral Area fulfills the criteria for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone.

“This ensures transparency in relation to the position of individual areas in terms of average rent levels and increases.”

He said that Ennis and Shannon currently don’t meet the criteria, but if they do at some point they will be included.

“Local electoral areas Shannon and Ennis do not currently fulfil the RPZ designation criteria under the legislation.

“The Housing Agency and the RTB will continue to monitor national rents and if Ennis or Shannon LEAs meet the designation criteria, they will be designated as a Rent Pressure Zones.”

He said that the findings of Daft.ie should not be taken as reflective of the overall market, and that the Residential Tenancies Board Rent Index is more authorative.

“It is important to note that Daft.ie is a single platform and there are other platforms advertising properties for rent. Individual letting agents may also maintain contact lists for potential tenants.

“The report measures rent asking prices, which may be different to the rents actually being paid.

“The Rent Index Report issued by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is based on actual rents in newly registered tenancies during a given quarter.”