Kilkenny TD - No let up for local renters across Kilkenny

Sinn Féin TD for Natasha Newsome Drennan, has accused the government of punishing renters with proposed changes to rent regulation that will drive rents even higher. 

Her comments come as the latest Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) report shows rents jumped 5% in the last year and eviction notices increased significantly to 5,405 in the third quarter of this year.

In Kilkenny, rents have shown no let with increased a staggering 4.9% over the last year. 

Deputy Newsome Drennan said:

“The latest RTB report shows that rents and eviction notices continue to spiral upwards as the government’s housing plan continues to fail renters. 

“This is yet again further proof that the government’s housing plan is not working.   

“Meanwhile, eviction notices have skyrocketed.  5,405 notices of termination were issued between July and September of this year alone. That is 35% higher than the same period last year, and 14% higher than the second quarter this year.

“The government’s response has been to punish renters even further.  

“They’ve weakened design standards so developers can build smaller, darker apartments.  They’ve handed €640m of taxpayers money to developers in a VAT cut for apartments that are already being built.  And now they want to strip renters of the meager protection they have against rent hikes. 

“The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024 is a hammer blow to tenants. 

“From March 2026, landlords will be allowed to reset rents to the highest market level for new tenants.  For many this will mean a massive rent hike at the start of a new tenancy, everyone else will be hit at the end of the six years.  This means that tens of thousands of renters will see their rents rise – effectively wiping out a decade of protection from the Rent Pressure Zones. 

“The government didn’t have to do this.  They could have increased and accelerated the delivery of social and affordable homes by Councils and Approved Housing Bodies.  They could have supported SME builder-developers to deliver more good quality private homes for working people to buy.

“Instead Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have chosen, yet again, to punish renters, making them pay for over a decade of their failed housing policy.  

“It doesn’t have to be this way.  The government needs to wake up and face the reality that its failing housing plan is the cause of the problem.  They need to introduce a three-year ban on rent increases and dramatically ramp up the delivery of social and affordable homes. 

“Renters need a break - not more rent hikes,” she added.