A QUARTER OF private rental tenants in Ireland are afraid of losing their accommodation and one third do not even have a formal lease.
Research conducted on behalf of the National Association of Building Co-ops (NABCO), found 25% of all households in the country live in private rented accommodation.
Renters spend 30% of their income on average on their accommodation , though in Dublin this rises to 35%. A significant proportion of renters in Dublin – some 42% – have seen their rent increase in the last 18 months, versus 19% in the rest of the country. Over the next 18 months, more than 40% expect their rent to go up.
Worryingly, one in three do not have a formal lease and the same number feel they do not know their rights, with many also saying they do not know where to look for help.
According to the research, 215,000 people are looking to move out – most to start their own households. However lack of finance is the major barrier to moving out, packaged with a general shortage of properties.
The survey also found that one in ten Irish people have been on the waiting list for social housing at some point.
Interestingly, nine out of ten people surveyed disagree with the Central Bank proposal to require those buying homes to pay a 20% deposit.
“We’ve found ample evidence to show the full scale and extent of the housing crisis in Ireland and its impact on families,” commented NABCO CEO Kieran Brennan.
“The figures in the survey also show major pent up housing demand. More than one in ten households where someone would like to move out but can’t.”
He added that this research provides a “compelling case” for greatly increasing the supply of housing in every segment in the housing market.
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