No Relief For Kinsale’s Tenants
Writes JJ Hurley
A recent statement by a spokesperson from the RTB will bring little comfort for those hard -pressed residents facing an ever-increasing spiral of rent in Kinsale, as the town continues to face a severe lack of rental accommodation.
In the statement, the spokesperson said: “In Q1 2019 The standardised average rent for Kinsale was €1000.54 which is 19% above the Non-GDA standardised Average rent (€841.49).
However, based on our analysis of data used to compile the Q1 2019 Rent Index Report, Bandon-Kinsale LEA did not meet the RPZ designation criteria, as annualised rent inflation has not been more than 7% in at least 4 of the last 6 quarters.”
Kinsale town car park Picture. John Allen
Senator Tim Lombard,who has his constituency office in the town, said: “The rent pressure zones, have been a tool that has worked regarding controlling rent. The rent pressure zone is categorised as an electoral district, but the demographics in that district can be quite variable.
If you have an electoral district that has a town like Kinsale in the heart, it will not have the same rent pressure zone as smaller villages or rural areas.
The legislation needs to be changed so rent pressure zones can be categorised in a smaller area such as urban centres. What this would mean is that the high rent increases that we have seen in towns like Kinsale would not be allowed because the rent pressure zone legislation would control rents.”
While some of those in the auctioneering industry in the locality have given a guarded welcome to the eventual inclusion of Kinsale into a pressure zone, some are concerned the scheme could penalise those landlords with a single property, who traditionally offer lower rents.
However, with the scheme offering a 24 month moratorium for existing tenants, it certainly has its benefits for those long-suffering renters in Kinsale.
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