Sir, – Your newspaper is full of stories of Ireland’s “phoenix recovery”. But everyone is warning of the various dangers of high and rapidly increasing rent: loss of disposable income; long commutes; homelessness; panic house-buying. In Belgium, the standard lease provides at least nine years of rent security. This has not dulled interest among both individuals and companies in becoming landlords. It is sweetened for the landlords by penalties for early exit. Why, I wonder, is no-one discussing such options in Ireland, or is everyone just crossing their fingers that the market (or higher wages) will fix everything? – Yours, etc,
BARTY BEGLEY,
Antwerp, Belgium.