Irish landlords are facing rent controls after one of the three main parties running for election next Friday (29th November) promised to ‘cut rents’ as the cost of living continues to be an issue should they gain power.

Sinn Féin is the only left-of-centre party in Ireland compared to centre-right incumbents Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, who have run Ireland via a coalition since 2020.

Led by Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin has promised to ban rent increases for three years for all existing and new tenancies including new rental stock, positioning itself as the champion of renters struggling to afford high rents,

High rents

Its housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin (main image) has blamed high rents in Ireland on Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, saying he would introduce a range of measures.

As well as rent controls, these would include publishing a rent register to ensure transparency in the rental market, bring in open-ended tenancies (as Labour is proposing to do in England and Northern Ireland), help tenants buy their rented properties and tighten eviction rules to make it harder to evict families.

“The cost of renting has skyrocketed under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. As a result of the failures of this government, young adults can no longer afford to move out of their childhood bedrooms. Their lives are being put on hold,” says Ó Broin.

“A Sinn Féin led Government will stand up for renters. We will cut rents. We will increase security of tenure. We will enforce minimum standards. And we will increase the supply of new private rental homes while at the same time providing renters with a pathway to social housing, affordable housing and private home ownership.”

Rent controls have been rejected for England and Wales by housing minister Matthew Pennycook, while Wales is consulting on limiting rent increases, and Scotland's Housing Bill going through its parliament will see temporary rent controls made more permanent.