A bizarre anomaly in the local designation of Rent Pressure Zones has resulted in tenants in Clogherhead facing some of the biggest rent hikes in the country, according to Louth Labour TD, Ged Nash.
Deputy Ged Nash TD explained: “Clogherhead, thanks to a complicated sequence of events over the last six years, has fallen between two stools and remains a tiny oasis for landlords who can demand whatever they like in rent, from their unfortunate tenants.
“While all around Clogherhead in the Drogheda and Ardee electoral areas, tenants can avail of the restrictions on rent increases by being part of a Rent Pressure Zone, renters in Clogherhead remain outside the RPZ.
“This odd situation was brought to my attention by a local woman renting in Clogherhead who is facing a staggering, close to 60% hike, in her rent.
“I was shocked at her story and decided to investigate how this could be possible when, as I understood it, this part of County Louth was within a Rent Pressure Zone.”
“I tabled a Parliamentary Question on the issue to the Minister for Housing and the explanation for how Clogherhead has found itself alone and outside the RPZ beggars belief.
“Drogheda Local Electoral Area (LEA) was designated as an RPZ in 2017, however, at that time, Clogherhead was part of the Ardee LEA which was not yet designated as an RPZ.
“The Ardee LEA became an RPZ in 2019 but by that time, Drogheda LEA had already been split in two and Clogherhead was transferred from Ardee LEA to Drogheda Rural LEA.
“The Residential Tenancies Act which lays down the criteria for being part of an RPZ effectively freezes in time the make up of a given LEA at the point it becomes designated as an RPZ and therein lies the problem for tenants in Clogherhead.
“Put simply, Clogherhead was not part of Drogheda LEA when it became an RPZ and subsequently, was not a part of Ardee LEA when it became an RPZ and so it remains the only town in the region where renters cannot avail of the vital protections against rent hikes that all of its neighbours can.”
Deputy Nash concluded: “This bizarre and clearly hugely unfair situation needs to be addressed urgently. It clearly points to a flaw in the legislation governing the designation of RPZ areas that needs to be amended.
“I would suggest that the amendment allow for any area transferred into an LEA that is designated as an RPZ, should also be a part of that RPZ. This flaw in the legislation is creating islands of uncertainty for tenants and leaving them vulnerable to enormous rent hikes.
“I am calling on the government to address this anomaly which has also occurred in a small number of other areas in the country, and give the tenants of Clogherhead the same protection as their neighbours against landlords who are cashing in.”
