(Source: Pixabay)It has been suggested the entire country should be declared a rent pressure zone.
New research from the ESRI shows new tenants are forced to pay notably higher rent than those in existing tenancies.
On average, they pay over 200 euro extra every month - with parts of the midlands, north and west the worst affected.
Carol Tallan, author of Irish Property Buyers Handbook, says it presents the argument for nationwide rent controls:
"To be honest, rent controls bring their own issues but the reality is, at this point so much of the country is a rent pressure zone, it makes sense for all of the country to be a rent pressure zone."
"So when we're looking at alternatives and we're looking at ways to move on from that, that we're looking at the whole country. So we do probably need a harmonisation at this stage, so it does make sense."
