tenants blast 20% rent hike by landlord
A STUDENT yesterday told how she will be forced out of her home after “greedy” landlords upped her rent by 20%.
The woman, who does not want to be named, is a resident in The Maple Apartments in South Dublin.
She is sharing a three-bedroom flat with three other students but said they will not be able to afford the hike from €2,325 to €2,800 on January 1.
The woman said she wants to highlight the “loophole” that allows for shocking increases in monthly leases.
She and other tenants at the flats in Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford, took part in a protest outside the landlord’s offices yesterday afternoon.
The woman said: “On 30 September we received a letter from I-res, that our rent will increase by €475, approximately 20%.
“This sharp increase means that we will be forced to move out.
“We are going to try and borrow some money to get us through the next few months but we will not be able to afford it in the long term.
“We are not the only apartment in the block that has received such a letter, some are subject to this sharp increase ranging from 20% to 25% and in some cases more. This includes numerous families living in the building with young children.
“I-res have used an exemption in the Tenancies Act 2016 to circumvent the newly-introduced 4% rent increase cap. I
want to highlight the unrelenting greed of landlords in Dublin during the starkest crisis the city has faced in decades.
“They are only able to put the rent up once a year so anyone who has been here over the year will be hit.
“It seems to be a loophole in the legislation which will result in many people moving out of the block.
“The landlord is within their rights to up the rent, unfortunately. Any building that was built in 2016 appears to fall into this loophole. We love the area and are so happy here. It’s such a shame.”
She and other residents plan to appeal the rent review.
I-res Reit said it has written to some tenants to advise them of lease rises in 2019 which are in line with market rates.
The firm will discuss the proposed changes with residents over the coming months.
As a new build, The Maple is not part of the Rent Pressure Zone.
The sharp increase means we will be forced to move out. We will not be able to afford it
YOUNG STUDENT SOUTH DUBLIN YESTERDAY