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Cost of renting home in Ireland grew by 2.7% last year despite Covid-19 pandemic

That’s according to the Residential Tenancies Board’s latest rent index.

THE COST OF RENTING a home in Ireland rose by 2.7% in 2020 to an average of €1,256 per month, according to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). 

The RTB’s latest rent index shows that for the October to December period of 2020 (Q4), Dublin was the county with the highest standardised average rent at €1,745 per month. 

The counties with the lowest monthly rents were Donegal and Leitrim (€626 per month). 

At the Local Electoral Area (LEA) level, the LEA with the highest standardised average rent was Stillorgan, County Dublin (€2,385 per month) and the lowest was Carndonagh, County Donegal (€521 per month).

New tenancies continued to account for approximately four-fifths of all registrations at 82.8%, with 17.2% of registrations representing tenancy renewals.

“The impact of Covid-19 on the rental sector continued into the fourth quarter of 2020. The national standardised average rent remained static in the quarter and, overall, in the year there had been a significant trend of moderation in rental inflation relative to previous years,” RTB’s interim director Padraig McGoldrick said.

“While there has been a definite trend in moderation in rent levels, it is clear affordability issues and related risks remain,” McGoldrick said. 

“We understand that Covid-19 presents many challenges and adjustments for those operating and living in the rental sector. We continue to encourage those who are experiencing issues in their tenancies to keep lines of communication open and if they still cannot resolve their dispute to contact the RTB for support and information on how to resolve these matters,” he added. 

New rental laws, the Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020, designed to protect tenants financially impacted by the pandemic, commenced on 1 August 2020.

Under the laws, those who are affected financially as a result of Covid-19 are not allowed to have rent increases while the laws are in operation.

The laws followed protections given to renters at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in spring, including a ban on eviction notices and rent increases, which ended on 1 August.

However, a new eviction ban was implemented during the introduction of nationwide Level 5 restrictions in late October, and is currently in place until 12 April.

Those in arrears currently cannot be evicted unless the notice is due to one of four reasons, which include anti-social behaviour.

Figures provided to Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin and seen by TheJournal.ie show that between August and December last, 573 tenants sought the RTB’s protection after falling into rent arrears and receiving an eviction notice.

A further 1,719 tenants sought protection after falling into arrears and receiving a warning letter from their landlord, with 566 of these coming during November and December. 

With reporting by Stephen McDermott

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    Mute Brad
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:13 AM

    Jesus lads, the housing situation be it for first time buyers or for renters in this country is awfully depressing.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:17 AM

    @Brad: The government get half of it so why should they intervene

    149
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    Mute Bitcoin Buddy
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:25 AM

    @Brad: With new build 4 beds flying out the door for a mortgage of about 1100/1200 a month in the commuter belt with help to buy etc, I guess the market isn’t as bad as places like LA, NY, Miami etc?

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    Mute Brad
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:32 AM

    @Bitcoin Buddy: I appreciate your point and it’s grand for those who are settling down in those commuter belts with a partner who can afford such homes on a joint mortgage application. For those of us who are renting , for those who are single and not earning (100k + factoring in 3.5 time borrowing rate) and for those who are not looking to settle down in a certain location it’s an entirely different story.

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:40 AM

    @FlopFlipU: lets not forget that a lot of td’s are landlords also

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    Mute Edward Natali
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:44 AM

    @Bitcoin Buddy: 1100-1200 a month mortgage for a 4 bedroom? Maybe when you put down like 50% of the value as a deposit… I live 40 minutes outside of Dublin and 2 bedroom apartments are going for 200k+

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    Mute Bitcoin Buddy
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:06 PM

    @Edward Natali: €300,000 4 bed semi 45 minutes from Dublin with 10% down, principal of €270,000 at 2.8% over 35 years is €1009. Back to school.

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:27 PM

    @Brian Dunne:
    Especially the ones in kerry

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    Mute Kevin Farrell
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:58 PM

    @Bitcoin Buddy: Not everyone can get a 35 year mortgage. It depends on your age.

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    Mute Sal Paradise
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:05 PM

    @Brian Dunne: 25%. Not that many really.

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    Mute Bitcoin Buddy
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:15 PM

    @Kevin Farrell: under 1300 for 25 years.

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:16 PM

    @Sal Paradise: you think 1 in 4 tds being a landlord isn’t a large number?

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    Mute Alan Biddulph
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:55 PM

    @Brian Dunne: Many people earning 100k + a year have invested in a second property, be it here or abroad, TDs are well payed and are no different.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:31 PM

    @Bitcoin Buddy:

    A house in Hoboken, right accross the river from Manhattan is cheaper than a house in Blanchardstown or Tallaght which takes longer to commute to the city. So yes, things are really that bad.

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:18 PM

    @FlopFlipU: If its your primary income then no, you are not taxed at half. If its a secondary income then you are taxed at similar rates to PAYE workers. If I work overtime or take on a second job I pay tax on all that income after my cut-off. Why should it be any different for landlords? (plus I don’t get the allowances landlords get, including 100% mortgage interest relief now).

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    Mute Valthebear
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:44 PM

    @Brad: indeed. Yet no anger or marches from generation repeal…

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    Mute SaveTheTrees
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:27 AM

    It’s called keeping apartments empty to keep prices artificially inflated

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:54 AM

    @SaveTheTrees: where are these apartments? How many? There would need to be thousands of them and they would be noticeable

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    Mute Zenith Quinn
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:16 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: there’s hundreds vacant in clancy quay where i live, google it

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:42 PM

    @Zenith Quinn: hundreds ≠ thousands. The effect this small number of apartments has on the average rent is nothing. An example of one block does not change the fact thousands of empty properties would have to exist to truly affect the rent on property to rent.

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    Mute Barry Murray
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:53 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: there are thousands of empty homes The 2016 census identified 245,460 vacant homes around Ireland, or 12.3 per cent of the total. The highest percentages of empty properties per head of population were in Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Donegal and other rural counties, but even Dublin city had 33 empty homes per 1,000 people. Considering the lack of building in the years since the number is likely been higher now

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    Mute artur fil
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:54 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: There are thousands in process of building Cherrywood development itself is going to be over 5000 apartments on top of other existing sites. By end of the Summer once some developments are finished you will see massive supply.Year ago this apartment
    https://www.daft.ie/for-rent/apartment-apartment-300-the-sycamores-carrington-santry-dublin-9/3150896 was probably 300€ more, year ago was not possible to find something below 1600€.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:14 PM

    @Barry Murray: do you know what the normal vacancy rate is? Do you know that due to tax any person in a nursing home doesn’t rent out their properties now. There is no extraordinary amount of empty property in fact it is less than normal. The claim is rents are high because landlords are artificially withholding properties from the market to keep rents high which is simply untrue. There would need to be thousands of properties being kept off the market in high demand areas but a limited number of people. It simply isn’t happening

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    Mute Sean
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:31 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: yeah once a person moves into a nursing home the house sits there idle and falling into disrepair until they die which could be 10-15 years later. Nonsensical situation. I also know people who have empty properties that they won’t rent out due to the fact that tenants have so many rights now you can never get them out again and way too much hassle. You turn down some oddball and he can bring a case to the Equality tribunal on the grounds of discrimination. Yes Irelands equality laws in 2016 included housing assistance as a new discriminatory ground which is unique in Europe. Dysfunctional market to say the least!

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:52 PM

    @Sean: it isn’t just the rights issue but the point there is no income benefit to the owner or their family. It also hinders family members from moving in to the historical family home. This has had more effect on rentals than investors not renting a couple of hundred apartments. Yet if your elderly mother is still living in council housing you can have the right to a tenancy and/or the ability to buy the property and a vastly reduced price.

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    Mute Fergus
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:27 AM

    Interesting that the transference of most (circa 70%) of the AirBnB short rentals back into regular rental stock didn’t really impact pricing.

    Just goes to show how much of a ramp up in stock is required to create some level of affordability.

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    Mute Drunk in Dublin
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:37 AM

    @Fergus: the Air BnBs finally took in homeless people instead. Getting topped up in those “below market rents” by HAP.

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:42 AM

    Why so expensive to rent here?

    It’s cheaper in big cities in England than Drogheda for example.
    What a rip off.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:01 PM

    @billy bound: less properties for the population. Higher taxes on building, higher insurance, higher labour costs. Larger historic stock of buildings. Lots of reasons

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:25 PM

    @Craic_a_tower:

    I was thinking of quality of life, but I don’t think so

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:45 PM

    @billy bound: you complained about rent prices. What do you not think so about? You want to deny what is fact about prices in Ireland go ahead it won’t change reality. I spent time in many UK cities and if you think there is a better quality of life there I would disagree. Do what you think is best

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:08 PM

    @Craic_a_tower:
    Comparing Drogheda to where exactly?
    Ireland is a rip off.
    Admit it. Go on do it. Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:31 PM

    @billy bound: I understand economies of scale and know Ireland will have higher costs as a result. That is why I don’t consider it as simply a rip off. If you hate Drogheda so much I suggesting you not live there. I don’t agree with you and I don’t think you have ever really thought about it to come up with a fully thought out view. If you have we still disagree if you haven’t I suggest learning more to see if you retain that view

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:29 PM

    @billy bound: This man is a landlord or developer of some kind, he has something to say to everyone who comments on the price of rent in every property article.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:03 PM

    @Pauline Gallagher: argue the point not the person. If you disagree explain why

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    Mute Eric
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:25 PM

    The property rental market in Ireland is broken, and it allows horrible landlords and horrible tenants to get away with murder, consequence-free. This feeds into the supply-side issues we’re having. If the government were serious about solving this problem, they would do the obvious things like facilitating the development of additional rental stock and/or reducing demand by making home ownership more feasible for more people. Equally as important though I think is the need for them to establish an intermediary between landlord and tenant, possibly in the form of an online portal for both parties to manage their side of a tenancy, including deposits, damage claims, wear and tear, and disputes. It would also allow tenants and landlords to leave each other references so that good conduct is rewarded, and bad conduct is there for all to see.

    The problem also has roots in government and societal attitudes to renting in Ireland as much as anything else however, and that needs to change. I don’t care what anyone says, tenants are treated as second-class citizens whose primary purpose is for rentier landlords to extract yields from, and the very thought of renting is seen by many as abnormal or even vulgar compared to the “sure” thing of home ownership. This is in spite of the fact that long-term tenancies are the norm in continental Europe, and there are demonstrable downsides to majority home-ownership in a country, like reduced labour mobility, the opportunity cost and reduced financial resilience from tying up your income for 20-30 years into an illiquid asset, urban sprawl and environmental harm. There are also problems specific to Ireland, such as the tendency for boom-and-bust cycles in the market we’ve seen time and time again.

    There’s also the massive conflict of interest in having a huge amount of landlord TDs. I know they have to declare any special interests, but really, how does owning multiple rented properties not feed into your decisions about housing policy? That is the main reason that there’s such a lack of ambition or urgency about solving the dysfunction of the rental market.

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:29 PM

    @Eric:
    Whole country is dysfunctional not just housing market

    44
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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:55 PM

    @Eric: if only you realised what was already in place and how countries got that way. So first you need to go back in time and kill a huge portion of the population and destroy the housing stock. Then get international money to build new housing on a grand scale at a minuscule charge or with no payback. Then you must maintain this property and not sell it to provide accommodation for future generation. Keep adding money to develop more property to keep up with demand.
    If you build social housing don’t maintain it and sell it off and don’t buy or build more. The people still insist social housing should be sold to tenants at a reduced price.
    The housing issue is a generational issue and people forget who gained at the time and sold out the future. This is a mentality issue of the people

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:02 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: Are you a landlord? Or just ultra capitalist? Either way your fairly all over this article.

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:09 PM

    @NotMyIreland:
    I think he’s a td

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:17 PM

    @NotMyIreland: attack the points I make as it doesn’t matter who I am

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:52 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: ok so thats yes to both so.

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:58 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: by the way I dont blame landlords, they are a business after all, and provide a service that is needed and must be paid for. I blame the government for not providing the service they should be. Spending public funds, to provide a public service but through private companies, when there is a clear and obvious solution, should only ever be a short term solution. The HAP scheme us like deciding to fix the public health system by continuing to rent the private hospitals rather than buy them outright or build more public ones.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:45 PM

    @NotMyIreland: you seem to miss the costs of providing property maintenance. The government are getting value for money because they don’t have to maintain properties. The tenants actually get a higher standard of service by not having to buy furniture or white goods, property maintenance etc…
    This all has a long history and can’t be fixed quickly the unfortunate reality is there is no one group to blame but landlords don’t like it either and aren’t to blame. People think the government are helping landlords but the reality is completely reverse. Yet the public blame landlords because it is easy to bring up our historical chip on our shoulders.

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:03 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: what do you estimate the annual maintenance costs for a property at? Because even when house prices are rising modestly (2%) that leaves €4600 per year for maintenance. And any of my landlords have never had to spend that in a 5 year period nevermind a one year system. Also the security given to people by having a long term social house (or home), would likely mean moat tenants have more respect for the property as they know its theirs for the long term. Then add general inflation and the fact that HAP tenant contributions are tied to net income which also rises means the maintenance costs are more than covered for the vast majority of tenants. Yes there are some tenants who create a lot of damage but in a state run system there are ways of properly managing these types of tenants.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:04 PM

    @NotMyIreland: I spent 5k on a property this year on one property. Three years ago €7k each on 3 others. I have externally insulated and replaced all windows on top. If you notice currently Dublin City council are currently paying to externally insulate their stock. That would be much more expensive if they owned more and hadn’t sold them. Long term social housing is very very expensive to maintain and the government couldn’t manage to do it. Look at how much rent they are owed and the lists of boarded up council buildings. The don’t sound like the best people to put in charge again. Something should change but it probably won’t other than less home owners and life long rentals.

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:17 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: so the 7k over three years is well covered by the increase in capital on your assets. And on those three properties over 10 years what would you have spent? And I’m sure the property you spent 5k on will not have more spent on it for a few years.
    On the average building cost, at 2% price increase over three years the added value is €13,800, so again double the upkeep you outline.
    Now I get its your business and you need a return, but state owned is different they just need break even, which it easily would. Especially as I haven’t even taken into account the modest rent charged for public housing. So financially it makes sense for the state, yes for private landlords it is probably a different story. Yes renovating older properties is an expense, but a once off expense that would not be needed for many years when building modern social housing. Sorry but you have failed to demonstrate that it actually costs the state anything in the longer term.

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    Mute Keith O'Reilly
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:21 AM

    *pretends to be shocked* I’m just glad I got our landlord to accept going on HAP even after being here for years since we qualified for it so it gives us some breathing room.
    Still stuck renting though since the income limits exclude us from ever buying unless prices fall a lot.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:25 AM

    @Keith O’Reilly: he couldn’t stop you even if he didn’t sign the forms

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    Mute Drunk in Dublin
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:36 AM

    @Keith O’Reilly: HAP is a scam to keep landlords wealthy and rents high. Why should taxpayers subsidise landlords? If the rent is too high, it should be lowered. Rents are literally cheaper in Manhattan than they are in Dublin.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:52 AM

    @Drunk in Dublin: I have friends living in New York and that is BS. HAP pays for a service that the government need to provide to its citizens. If landlords did not provide this service the people currently would be on the streets. That is not welfare for landlords unless you think landlords should invest money get no value of it and work for free. That is slavery with the added step of paying for the privilege

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:55 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: they should be building houses owned and ran by the state instead spending half a billion a year, and rising, on HAP to subsidise private landlords, which most tenantsnow need to top up anyway. Longer term planning is needed. HAP is like a sticking plaster on a serious wound, it just makes it worse in the long run.

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    Mute Damon16
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:58 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: Rents are not cheaper in Manhattan. A certain proportion of housing in NYC is subject to rent control which keep rents artificially low for the minority luck enough to either get in early or have connections. But if you moved there now and tried to rent you’d need a good six figure salary to even have a chance and with that you might get a closet sized place

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    Mute Keith O'Reilly
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:22 PM

    @Drunk in Dublin: Oh I know, I’m just glad it’s helped me save some money and force some long needed upgrades out of the landlord!

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:25 PM

    @Damon16: I know I called out somebody saying rent was cheaper in Manhattan compared to here

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:43 PM

    @NotMyIreland: where do the get the money? They need to pay the rent when they are building this property. What if the person doesn’t want to move to some social housing and like living in the place they are renting? Have you got figures for these top up amounts? How much how many? Explain how paying for a service you are getting is a subsidy to a landlord. They made it against the law to not accept HAP because landlords didn’t want it. HAP is not enough for renting in Dublin so it doesn’t subsidy anything.
    Yes a bad solution is in play but be absolutely clear that landlords are not responsible and don’t even want to be part of it. You realise that to keep the rent low for a long term tenant is punished by the RPZ rules. It is an encouragement to up rent and effect property value

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:51 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: you question the fact top ups are needed now, and then go on to point out that HAP is not enough in Dublin, hence the need for top ups. HAP is not enough in any county now by the way. And when you ring the council to explain you are told you must top up the rest yourself. Thats the case here in a rural Westmeath town anyway, so I assume that applies everywhere. I would have no issue paying the HAP if they were using it as the short term solution while they built public housing to accommodate everyone on the HAP scheme in the mean time. Thats not happening though. If they need to provide public housing, provide it, don’t outsource the problem and basically throw money away in the long run. Credit is cheap, the economy could do with a kick start, borrow 14 billion, build the 55,000 social houses needed. And nearly over the course of an average mortgage (28 years) the net spend almost zero. And that doesn’t take into account annual inflation and rises in property prices.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:34 PM

    @NotMyIreland: if HAP is not enough you can’t rent it to the person without committing fraud. You sign a declaration stating the rent and if you were to charge on top with agreement with the tenant you are both committing fraud. Why would a landlord do that when they can rent it to the private market? The answer is the majority won’t as it extra work and a crime when you can get the money easily anyway. Yes potential tenants do ask but the answer is no most of the time. It does happen but I doubt it is most of HAP but if you know how much this happens and the value please provide the information.
    I doubt it is the majority or even significant because most landlords never want HAP hassle in the first place let alone commit a crime to get it. Be realistic

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:43 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: incorrect. They changed that a few years ago when rents were rising steeply, rather than increasing the HAP thresholds.
    “Where the monthly rent agreed with your landlord exceeds the maximum rent limit payable by your local authority on your behalf, you must pay the difference directly to your landlord.”
    http://hap.ie/tenants/payments/
    Have a look at the HAP thresholds for all counties, then check out rental prices, then wonder how 55,000 people are all still renting within the old guidelines. You have just demonstrated you actually dont know what your talking about in regards to the HAP system in its current form.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:00 PM

    @Drunk in Dublin: the government get the hap money back plus the extra tax on the monthly rent so they don’t care. The money is made round to go round that’s the way it works

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:01 PM

    @NotMyIreland: that is you misreading it. There is still a threshold and the HSE have a full record of it. They will not allow you go crazy. So no doubling or even an extra 25% of the rent. What actually happens is your HAP payment is increased but they don’t advertise it. That is why they put the payment through the HSE rather than directly to the LL. They do not want to take HAP that is there why they brought in the law making landlords take it. Whatever you want to think but landlords are not the cause or the solution to a lack of government spending

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:12 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: Im not misreading it. You are just badly mistaken. Ring your local council and ask. Take it from someone in the system. My HAP limit for a couple with two kids is €625. My rent, with council approved HAP, is €1050 per month (3 bed smallish Westmeath town). And only I’m in the property two years the rent would now be approx €1200.

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:29 PM

    @NotMyIreland: and HAP pay to a maximum of €625, I pay the rest, not the council, not social welfare, not the HSE. And that was advised by Westmeath CoCo

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:48 PM

    @NotMyIreland: ok how much more are you paying as you were always meant to pay something? For all we know is it’s €2

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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:04 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: I clearly outlined what I pay. I pay the landlord €425 euro per month and the council €65 per week. Or €280 per month. So yes I’m still lucky to only pay €705 per month instead of €1050. But considering the system is designed to support people like me, its not huge support. The limits need to be revised as the rents have gone crazy since they were last looked at. Maybe I’m lucky I got a landlady who was willing to go through all the crap that comes with it. I suspect she knew a young family like mine were going to be good long term tenants who wouldn’t cause any problems and so took the chance. As I said its like trying to fix the health care system by continuing to rent the private hospitals, and then expecting public patients to pay for some of the treatments carried out there anyway. Would that solution to health appeal to you?

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:30 PM

    @NotMyIreland: the amount you pay is means tested and you aren’t paying a top up as such. You would still have to pay the €65. On that amount it suggests you are on a social welfare payment or scheme. It doesn’t sound like a great lifestyle but you have a place. I genuinely don’t know what more you want or think should be available. I don’t know your circumstances but I remember bedsits in old Georgian houses and lived in one and went to bed hungry more than once. It sounds better than that given the higher standards now. I am not in anyway against social services and very for them. Not judging you or saying I put up with more just not quite sure what the argument is. There are crazy aspects now. Two parents of one child are entitled to two 2bed places if they split up. Hard to justify

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:57 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: no my two issues with system are the limits for each area are supposed to be set by market value, and are outdated. And it shouldn’t be used as a long term solution to public housing. If the rental value of the property I rent was €750 like 4 or 5 years ago, the council would still pay €625, I’d still pay them €65 per week but I’d only be topping up (which is what you do) by €125 not €425. So why have the limits not been readjusted with market trends. And if I was offered a means tested social house I would happily rent it from the state for €500 per month or whatever they deemed I should pay. I’m not looking for a free house, I just think that the supports offered should reflect the real world. Or ideally there should be public housing stock, especially as it makes long term financial sense.

    Please answer my question on whether you think renting private hospitals and then charging public patients a percentage of the procedure costs is a viable solution to the health care problems? And if you don’t, which I suspect you don’t, why is that model a viable solution to public housing?

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 7:30 PM

    @NotMyIreland: you pay €130 a month in rent even being on a social welfare payment that is a good deal. People complained the limits were keeping the market with high rents so it was reduced. They forced breaking leases for cheaper rent. They simply don’t have their own property and must use the private market. As for the comparisons to private hospitals they already did that. They also overcharged insurance companies for use of public hospitals.
    You are suggesting you are angry for paying €130 and would prefer to pay €500. How can you afford that? This all sounds a bit extreme on benefits and you are choosing to live the way you are

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    Mar 24th 2021, 7:50 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: where are you getting the €130. I pay €705 per month. I pay €425 to the landlord and €281 to the council. And I’m not on social welfare thanks for the assumptuon

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    Mar 24th 2021, 7:54 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: and with regards the health care system, to clarify you think that its a suitable model long term. The government should rent the private hospitals and charge public patients say 20% of a top up cost for any treatment received there. Not asking what has or hasn’t been done, just for your viewpoint on that model for public health?

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    Mute Dean
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:41 PM

    There’s a huge increase in foreign landlords buying-up bulks of housing, to the point where all available housing could become owned by a small number of foreign businesses, who set prices:

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/potential-price-setting-power-of-institutional-landlords-flagged-1.3794427

    2 homes per person, for citizens only. End bulk-buying.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:07 PM

    @Dean: you do understand the difference between a company and a person? What are you going to do with people who own more than two properties and rent them out? Not sure if you understand there are laws against what you suggest. We would have to leave the EU to do this.
    There is an old story of a profit arriving to the poor part of town. He preaches those who have two houses, one shall be taken from him and given to those without. The crowd cheers, he continues those that have 2 cows shall have one taken and given to those without. The profit continues down the list of things and gets to chickens. The crowd don’t cheer and attack him. While poor these people had 2 chickens each and didn’t want him taking them away.

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    Mute artur fil
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:16 AM

    There are 2 apartments in my area 2beds they have been advertised for way over month price at the start was 1950 now is 1800 and still empty.
    Vesta living in Clongrifin few weeks back ran deal with 2 months free rent. So are you getting those figures from??

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    Mute artur fil
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:18 AM

    @artur fil: *where

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    Mute Drunk in Dublin
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    Mar 24th 2021, 11:39 AM

    @artur fil: exactly. The rents are artificially high, and this needs to stop. Whatever happened to “supply and demand”? If you can’t rent out an apartment for 2400 a month then it’s clearly not worth that. These “luxury” apartment blocks were bad investments, too bad. Let the people live!

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    Mute Podge
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:23 PM

    @Drunk in Dublin: My guess is that if you own a property and you’re finding it hard to rent it out for 2k a month you might hold off instead of renting it for 1,600 because if you rent at 1,600 you’re restricted from raising the price once things go up due to rent controls in many places and in the long run you’re worse off. Or maybe people are waiting and considering selling instead of renting.

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    Mute Damon16
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:53 PM

    @Drunk in Dublin: It is not feasible on cost grounds to build apartments for rent aimed at the average joe in Dublin given the cost of construction, VAT, planning and service fees etc – that is affecting supply. Rent control, ban on evictions and other regulations are disincentiving new supply also. Its a classic picture of distorted supply and demand messing with prices.

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    Mute Rachel
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:08 PM

    Was living and working in Dublin for 11 years, and in 2019 was paying €655pcm plus approx €95 pcm in bills for a tiny double bedroom in a cottage in Stoneybatter, sharing with a housemate. I saw the same place up on Daft before Christmas and it was back on the rental market just with new carpets (so “renovated”) for €1800 – another €300 increase! Could not swing a cat in the kip!

    I now live near Granada in Spain and pay €165pcm plus €25pcm bills for a 3 bedroom house in the centre of town with a roof terrace (house is €325 split with my boyfriend). I have the exact same access to conveniences as I did in Stoneybatter (banks, shops, (free) doctors, restaurants, pubs etc.) and the city is a 30 min bus ride away. I work from home full time for an established company that went fully remote after COVID.

    I took a salary cut to work here, and still have some loans in repayment every month, but I have ended up with nearly twice the disposable income. Also it’s sunny here 300 days a year, and that has a profound effect on mood and general wellbeing.

    Why anyone with no strong ties to family/other personal situations would bother staying in Ireland is beyond me. It’s just getting more and more miserable, lockdown or not and I would urge anyone who can get out to do so as soon as travel becomes a safe possibility again. Where there is a will, there is a way! There is a life outside of Ireland!!!

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:35 PM

    @Rachel:
    Exactly. With the increase of jobs that are suitable for remote working, why would you stay in Ireland?

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:50 PM

    @Rachel: what is the unemployment rate in Spain? Can the locals afford rent and purchase? What if you are disabled what are the services like. A friend of mine was bragging about how his Dubai apartment was so cheap to buy and so luxurious. When I pointed out it was built by slave labour and people died building it he didn’t see the issue.

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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:14 PM

    @billy bound: you can’t work remotely and be an Irish tax resident. Had to recall workers back to Ireland already. You really should just not live in Ireland if you hate it here so much. You’ll find some issues with corruption in most places and you will find the living standards different. You might notice renting standards differ as do responsibilities. Friend lived in Madrid he was very embarrassed about where he lived as it was so small shared bathroom and very basic cooking facilities. He was paid well but that was all he could afford. Wouldn’t be legal here.

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    Mute Dave
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:07 PM

    @Craic_a_tower: What difference does the unemployment rate make? She is living in Spain with her boyfriend and is enjoying life. What is the unemployment rate here and the cost of rent here?

    If her employer allows her to work remotely form anywhere in Europe that is her choice… I have no idea how your friend in Dubai story is remotely relevant to Rachels post…

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    Mute Rachel
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    Mar 25th 2021, 10:29 AM

    @Craic_a_tower: I moved from Ireland two years ago and work for the Spanish branch of an international company. Pay about €50 less tax per month as well despite having 50% more benefits in my salary. All above board.

    My 3 bed house is finished better than the last three I lived in in Dublin. Appliances brand new, brand new wood burner for winter, professionally cleaned before we moved in. Look at what you can get on Daft sharing for €325. Trust me, I’ve not compromised on any living standards.

    Yes, there are plenty of things that could be done “better” in Spain, but only when you judge them by Nothern European standards e.g. roads etc. and the reverse is that the Spanish have more than enough to get by. Their focus is on enjoying life, spending time with family, eating well and being outside as often as possible. We can learn a lot from the “viejecitos” or older population who, at least in my town, have members in their 90s and even 100s.

    I get that for some people, there’s no place like home, but if they went out into the real world, they’d see they are being absolutely shafted in Ireland and only for the privilege of saying they live in cold, miserable, backwards, grey, rainy Ireland. Why are people putting up with this?!

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    Mute Damon16
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:47 PM

    The Gov has chosen to ignore the laws of supply and demand. They have introduced rent freezes, ban on evictions, excess regulation on the rental sector whilst shutting down the construction sector. Rents have been somewhat kept in check due to covid and impact on demand but when the restrictions lift we will have a serious crisis in the rental sector due to supply issues. This should be a surprise to nobody.

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:20 PM

    @Damon16: what is a problem is the government already used its bags of trick on landlords over the last while. They have left themselves with little options. Some of their solutions will hit problems later on. The rent caps are a problem because they used a loop hole by saying they were temporary but have kept renewing them. That cause the problem of them not being temporary and therefore can be challenged. Landlords are leaving the market and believe it or not they are needed.

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 24th 2021, 12:26 PM

    Why would you live here compared to other countries.?
    It’s not that good.

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    Mute Dave
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:15 PM

    @billy bound: After some research its diabolical here … Looking to get a mortgage here and the places we are looking at are all in the 250 – 300,000 range…. Same type of places in France / Spain / Portugal for 50 – 150,000…… Its madness, but as i mentioned in an earlier post, with huge amount of the multinational workforce now allowed to work remotely, and a very high percentage of them free to work in any European country…. I can see alot of places become available here, but nobody to buy or rent them

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    Mute Ciaran McQuaid
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    Mar 24th 2021, 2:33 PM

    Welcome to FF/FGs Ireland where landlord and developer greed is more important than people.

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    Mute B
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:50 PM

    How can the youth become independent in today’s society when the car insurance is around 200 per month, rent is around 800 and the only job you can get without 5 years of industry experience and a education is with minimum pay?

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    Mute Dave
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:12 PM

    Already looking to move abroad to purchase a house with my partner, already spoken to manager and HR and there is no issues with working from anywhere in Europe… Doing the math’s on the salaries after taking a hit obviously due to the lower salaries in specific countries, we are still better off than living here due to the high cost of everything….

    What the government and Landlord’s who charge too much do not realize is that since covid most of the multinational workforce are now availing of working form home full time.. And as mentioned above a lot of employers do not have issue in what country you work from.. I would honestly be worried for what’s to come for some landlords..

    Already in our department 4 of the Spanish speaking engineer who were sharing a house for a hefty few a month have now moved home to Spain. The house is still for rent at the same price for almost 4 months now.

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    Mute shane mc gee
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:42 PM

    Happy days. Rent free holiday for all.

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