Sir, – I couldn’t agree more with Gerard Howlin (Opinion & Analysis, March 14th) in pointing out in relation to the housing crises that “Sinn Féin, the main opposition, wants a rent freeze for three years” and this in the context of “approximately 40 per cent of property sales in the final three months of last year involved landlords selling their investment properties”. He rightly says that “this is politics first, not policy”.
I believe there have been considerable efforts very recently by Government to come to grips with the lack of housing supply, but over many years there also has been some political play-acting, resulting in the lack of serious progress.
However, tinkering with the market such as introducing the rent pressure zones in Dublin and other cities – resulting in lopsidedness in the rental market – and the eviction ban have, I believe, backfired; small landlords are leaving in their droves, of which I am one! Hopefully the Government keeping its word and lifting the ban will stem the exodus.
There’s a general view that Sinn Féin’s noisy cynicism probably “bounced” the Government into such short-termism which really hasn’t served anyone well; the Government of course would deny this.
Matt Williams: Take a deep breath and see how Sam Prendergast copes with big Fiji test
New Irish citizens: ‘I hear the racist and xenophobic slurs on the streets. Everything is blamed on immigrants’
Jack Reynor: ‘We were in two minds between eloping or going the whole hog but we got married in Wicklow with about 220 people’
‘I could have gone to California. At this rate, I probably would have raised about half a billion dollars’
And Sinn Féin, in playing politics with the issue, denied any likelihood that the predicted outcome would materialise, ie fewer properties to rent. In the face of this reality, Sinn Féin housing spokesman, Eoin Ó Broin, continues to reject the resulting evidence, leaving one wondering what kind of policies such denial would produce should they be part of the next government. Would they still frighten further landlords off the pitch with an ill-advised three-year rent freeze, for example? – Yours, etc,
LIAM CALDWELL,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Mark Mohan writes that “certain economic principles are unassailable”, and that if an activity is over-regulated and overtaxed, supply will be curtailed (Letters, March 14th).
In my experience, “unassailable” economic principles only partially translate well to the housing sector. Looking across Europe, we find that the countries with the largest and best-supplied private rental sectors are also the most regulated (eg Denmark, Germany, Switzerland). Our controversial temporary ban on evictions would be the norm in these jurisdictions. On the flip side, they are also countries where all landlords pay an equitable amount of tax.
Mr Mohan’s point about the “quarterly misleading and misinterpreted Daft rent report” is more unassailable. It is not just “leftist parties, homelessness lobbyists and social policy commentators” (oh dear) who use these misleading and misinterpreted figures, however. It is disappointing to hear politicians of all hues “parrot in comic unison” Daft figures. I have had to point out to no less an august body than the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission the error of using Daft figures to support a decision they made. They accepted my point.
Most egregious of all is the four times a year free publicity given to the misleading Daft quarterly reports by the media, and RTÉ in particular. – Yours, etc,
Dr LORCAN SIRR,
Senior Lecturer – housing,
planning and development,
Technological
University Dublin,
Dublin 1.
Sir, – There seems to be an assumption around that “evictions” or repossessions in their thousands will take place from April on. This is far from correct. Eviction is not a legal term but a short-hand description of a long process.
While landlords will be able to act on notices of termination for the first time since the autumn, they will be forced to enter into the arcane world of the Residential Tenancies Board. A tenant who does not wish to meekly surrender their accommodation has many rights. Mediation, an adjudication by the RTB, an appeal to a tribunal within the RTB and finally the successful landlord has to bring the matter to the District Court for enforcement. This process could take up to two years, especially if many tenants resist. The RTB has limited resources. The legislation is full of technicalities making it difficult for a landlord to prove a case.
Why is there no discussion in the media of this most likely scenario? – Yours, etc,
CIARAN O’MARA,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – “Tánaiste says State has ‘turned a corner’ on activity in the housing sector” (News, March 14th). How can you turn a corner when you are going round in circles? – Yours, etc,
ROB SADLIER,
Dublin 16.