'Disappointment' over Carlow tenants left out again in new Rent Pressure Zones list
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Local Fianna Fáil Senator, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, has expressed disappointment at the fact that Carlow has been left out of the new Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) designations.
Senator Murnane O’Connor was commenting as 19 new locations across 11 counties have been designated as RPZs including all of counties Meath and Louth.
The change means that rent increases are limited to a maximum of 4% each year in these areas.
Senator Murnane O’Connor, who is also a member of the Oireachtas Housing Committee, said: "While the addition of these areas to the RPZ will provide some certainty and relief to tenants it is essentially a belated response to the massive hikes in rents which have been imposed on tenants all over the country over the past number of years.
"People in private rented accommodation in Carlow will not get any certainty or relief as Carlow has been left out once again. This is despite the rising rents and rising house prices.
"It’s very hard to understand such disparity. Exorbitant rents are not exclusive to 11 counties and a town like Carlow, which is home to thousands of commuters, should be included.
"We know rental costs are soaring across the country. This is due to a lack of social and affordable housing. It is leaving many people in private rented accommodation, with their costs and fate dictated by their landlords, this needs to change," she added.