Sheehan & Co, solicitors

There is no hybrid between ownership and renting and you don't get many situations where landlords will enter into long residential leases. You might see a five-year lease in the case of a good tenant like an embassy who will want security of tenure. Apartments are sold on a long-year lease, but what Mr Walsh is looking for really doesn't exist.

He could perhaps rent a one-bed apartment at a percentage over the going rate. If he makes an attractive offer the landlord may agree to allow him sublet, provided he alone is ultimately responsible for the payment of rent each month. The advantage to the landlord is that he gets a secure tenant.

The current preference for short-term leases is a mindset more than anything else and in today's market, where there is a shortage of accommodation, it may be difficult to change that mindset.