Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) have been described as “crippling” the housing market. 

Rent Pressure Zones are designated areas of the country where a landlord can only increase the rent by 2% annually.

The Irish Property Owners Association believes RPZs have constricted the supply of rental properties on the market and need urgent reform.

It is a suggestion that Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers CEO Pat Davitt agrees with.

“We’ve been saying this for quite a while,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.

“These restrictions are crippling the market at the moment and they have since they came in eight years ago and it’s time to get rid of them.

“There’s absolutely no doubt about that and enough evidence to show it as well.”

Homes in rural Ireland. image: Piere Bonbon / Alamy

Rent Pressure Zones making renting 'more hassle than it's worth'

Mr Davitt claimed the restriction means many prospective landlords believe renting to tenants is more hassle than it is worth.

“The reason they’re not coming to the market is there’s too much restriction and the properties that are in the market at the moment, many, many landlords are renting them their properties way, way under the [market] rent,” he said.

“The market needs to relax and let those properties into the market at market rent - that’s all we’re asking.”

Semi detached properties in a new development.

Also on the programme, housing expert and Maynooth University lecturer Rory Hearne described rents as already “beyond the affordability” of too many people.

“Renters are really, really struggling,” he said.

“The idea that rents should be allowed to increase beyond the existing 2% cap on rents is just mind boggling.

“When we look at Dublin now, the average rent is €2,000 a month.”

Mr Hearne said many new builds in RPZs charge “astronomical rents” and urged the Government to increase the supply of social housing.

“The solution is not to get rid of the minimal rent controls that we have - which are providing some sort of control of existing rents. It’s to supply public social affordable housing that will provide a counter to the private rental market,” he said.

Earlier this year, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said “momentum is building” behind the Government’s housing plans and while the market is not perfect, but it is improving”.

Main image: A housing estate. Image: Richard Wayman / Alamy