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Landlords will not be allowed to demand in excess of two months’ rent upfront under new rules, including from student renters

Covid-19 protections for renters have been extended for another six months until 12 January 2022.

LAST UPDATE | 9 Jun 2021

CABINET HAS SIGNED off on proposals today to ensure that all renters – including students – won’t have to fork out multiples of their monthly rent amounts when signing a tenancy agreement.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien brought a memo Cabinet today that will restrict upfront payment demands made by landlords.

Under the new regulations, which the government plans to have passed into law by the summer, renters will only be required to supply a deposit and a month’s rent in advance, and the total value will not be allowed exceed the value of two months’ rent. 

The measure includes students who are living in student-specific accommodation.

In a statement, Minister O’Brien said that the measures are “the beginning of a suite of rental protections which I hope to bring forward in the autumn to protect all tenants”.

“Having met previously with members of the Union of Students in Ireland, I know they were particularly concerned about students being asked to pay up to a year’s rent in advance and having to provide lengthy termination notices. The measures Cabinet have approved today will go some way towards alleviating the concerns raised,” O’Brien said.

“We do need to increase the availability of accommodation for students – this is the most effective way to provide real choice and options. I will continue to liaise with Minister Harris and the USI on this matter,” he said.

Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that “this measure will help lower the financial barriers by removing a significant upfront expense for students attending college”.

He said that it will apply for the upcoming academic year.

There will be an opt-outs to allow students to pay more upfront if they wish to do so, but they cannot be forced into such a move. 

However, Sinn Féin spokesperson for housing Eoin Ó Broin said that the option to pay more should be removed.

“If we’re saying it’s a month’s rent and a month’s rent deposit in advance, that should be it,” Ó Broin said on RTÉ Radio One’s News at One this afternoon.

“This idea that students allegedly who want to pay more than that can do so, that’s a loophole that could be exploited and it should be removed,” he said.

He said the “real congratulations” for the new measure is to the Union of Students in Ireland, who “led the campaign for this change”.

Broader move

While the new regulations have been designed primarily to help students who are seeking college accommodation in advance of the new academic year, the measures will also apply to all renters who are moving into a new home.

As far back as 2017, government has been urged to tackle the rules around deposits and upfront payments, with some examples being highlighted over the years of private landlords asking prospective tenants for two months’ deposit as well as the first month’s rent.

National housing charity Threshold said at the time that it was very concerned that no law exists to ensure that just one month’s rent is sufficient for a deposit, stating that tenants needed to be protected from unscrupulous landlords.

Rent protections for those financially impacted by Covid-19

In addition to tackling the issue of large upfront payments, Cabinet has also extended the current Covid-19 protections for renters. 

Those who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic will see their protections extended beyond 12 July.

The protections are being extended for another six months beyond July, until 12 January 2022.

The measure will protect “those who are most at risk and the most vulnerable” from possible 8% rent increases, which was raised as a matter of concern last week.

The rent protection legislation brought in last August replaced the initial temporary measures, which prevented evictions and rent increases for tenants in financial difficulty during the pandemic.

The protections currently in place only apply to renters who have fallen into rent arrears, giving them 28 days to pay owed rent before they can be evicted.

Rent increases for workers who are on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment or Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme are also banned. 

Any tenant financially negatively impacted by the pandemic and finding themselves in rent arrears will be protected from eviction, as well as any rent increases up until the legislation end date. 

The measures can be only applied in circumstances where a self-declaration form from the tenant is sent confirming that they cannot pay their rent due to the financial impact of Covid-19.

The landlord can still serve a valid notice of termination (after the 28-day warning notice for rent arrears has expired).

However, the tenant will not have to vacate their accommodation before the new date and the tenant must be given at least 90 days’ notice. Also, the landlord cannot increase the rent until new date in January, under the new measures.

Speaking on the News at One, Minister O’Brien said the “rent pressure zones themselves and the legislation that underpins it is due to expire at the end of this year and I’ll be bringing forward a new suite of rent reform measures”.

“I would hope to have measures to deal with this and other aspects in a very, very short space of time. I’m not in a position to detail them quite yet but I will be doing so,” he said.

In contrast, Ó Broin said that protections are not extended far enough and that we need a “three year ban on rent increases”.

“It is simply not conceivable that any tenant who’s paying for example, €1700 or more, which is the average rent now in Dublin City should be hit with any level of rent increase, let alone a rent increase of 8%,” Ó Broin said.

The average monthly rent in Dublin is currently just under €2,000.

In the capital, the average monthly rent during the first quarter was €1,974, a drop of 6.5% over the past twelve months.

The cost of renting increased in every city outside of Dublin in the twelve months to March, with the capital the only city in the country where rents fell from 2020 to 2021.

But rents outside of Dublin are 7.1% higher than they were in the first quarter of 2020, with renters paying €900 extra per year on average.

With reporting by Lauren Boland

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    Mute Claire
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    Jan 1st 2015, 9:34 AM

    I’m going to lose weight. But not starting til Monday. Diets have to start on Mondays

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    Mute fergalreid
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    Jan 1st 2015, 10:57 AM

    I had shortbread for breakfast.

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    Mute Spiderman_Irish
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    Jan 1st 2015, 11:49 AM

    If you cut out the bread and the cereals you will lose weight. Kellog’s and Nestle is obesity food despite the healthy looking misleading labels.

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    Mute AARO-SAURUS
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    Jan 1st 2015, 12:42 PM

    Cut out sugar. Tis the divil

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 1st 2015, 2:30 PM

    Kellogg’s Special K, which is marketed towards weight conscious women, actually has more calories than corn flakes. But you’re right, almost all breakfast cereals are junk food.

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    Mute Spiderman_Irish
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    Jan 1st 2015, 5:05 PM

    Dermot yeah exactly and its shameful the way women often consume Special K and then get fatter. See the thing is that many including myself are not told is that the most we are supposed to consume of any grains in a fistful. Anything after that and it will bloat you and sent your body into an insulin rush and you will crave/eat more and more. Its all vested interests and brainwashing!!

    Stoneground brown bread and a small amount of oats is all people should really be consuming in the bread and cereal isles. A lot of people say don’t eat meat, nuts, seeds or dairy but I eat a lot of them and I am the opposite of obese.

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    Mute Paul Keane
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    Jan 1st 2015, 11:44 AM

    I’m going to be more positive. But I don’t think it’ll last.

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    Mute Rebecca
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    Jan 1st 2015, 12:19 PM

    I see what you did there ;)

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    Mute Francie Coffey
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    Jan 1st 2015, 9:50 AM

    Wish me luck on my new Whisky & Aspirin diet.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jan 1st 2015, 10:43 AM

    Good luck Francie …but sure with such a good idea you’ll be grand anyway …
    Do you have a link for that and I might check it out myself – sounds like a great idea.

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    Mute Conor Roche
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    Jan 1st 2015, 10:14 AM

    My new year’s resolution will be the same as last year’s 1280 × 720 px

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    Mute Conor Roche
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    Jan 1st 2015, 11:06 AM

    Wow Looks like more than half of you have given up your sense of humour for the new year.
    Well get on with your miserable lives then, for the rest of you Happy New Year!

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    Mute Pat Duffy
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    Jan 1st 2015, 9:34 AM

    People annoy me when I ask about giving up cigarettes they say I’ll wait till the new year. Why wait?? Just try now

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    Mute Susan Adair Farrelly
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    Jan 1st 2015, 11:20 AM

    Or how about mind your own business?! That might be a start point for you.

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    Mute Sergeant Yates
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    Jan 1st 2015, 9:34 AM

    Yes but i won’t start them until next year.

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    Mute Sian O Sullivan
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    Jan 1st 2015, 10:47 AM

    I’m going to try and start each day with a positive thought :)

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    Mute Charlene Hogan
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    Jan 1st 2015, 9:43 AM

    I’ll start the 5th…..hopefully

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    Mute Robin Basstard
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    Jan 1st 2015, 9:41 AM

    Yes my New Year’s Resolution is not to make a New Year’s Resolution, lets hope I can stick to it.

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    Mute Breandán Ó Conchúir
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    Jan 1st 2015, 11:25 AM

    set some end of year fitness goals thats all

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 1st 2015, 2:32 PM

    Wicklow 200 for me in June. The training starts Saturday.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jan 1st 2015, 10:44 AM

    I’m going to give up smoking on April fool’s Day – it seems more apt for some reason !

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    Mute Francie Coffey
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    Jan 1st 2015, 12:30 PM

    I am going to more decisive, – maybe…

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jan 1st 2015, 12:40 PM

    Just seen an add for Easter, EASTER?!!!!!!?

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 1st 2015, 2:33 PM

    The eggs should be in Tesco’s any day now

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    Mute John S
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    Jan 1st 2015, 7:51 PM

    99% sure I drove over the Easter bunny today.

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    Mute Des Doran
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    Jan 1st 2015, 1:16 PM

    I’m not paying for Water,
    And I will do more to bring this,
    Government to an end

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    Mute Liz Potts
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    Jan 1st 2015, 1:39 PM

    You’re also writing more haikus in 2015 i see…..good stuff

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    Mute Bobby Phelan
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    Jan 1st 2015, 5:46 PM

    Des.spot on more protesting against banks property tax USC water tax.general election now

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    Mute Mark O'Hagan
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    Jan 1st 2015, 3:28 PM

    No point when there are still loads of chocolates and biscuits still begging to be eaten.

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    Mute Saorlaith
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    Jan 1st 2015, 1:02 PM

    I’m going to try and mark a few things off my Bucket list.

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    Mute John Ward
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    Jan 1st 2015, 7:21 PM

    There’s nothing new about New Year
    It’s just a state of mind to clear
    Away some old regrets we fear
    Will taint our lives, it would appear.

    We make new resolutions then
    To old bad habits turn again.
    I’ve found the ultimate solution:
    Resolve to make no resolution!

    John Ward

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    Mute Chris
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    Jan 1st 2015, 3:44 PM

    I’ve resolved to see this gov kicked out of office

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    Mute Moll
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    Jan 1st 2015, 7:47 PM

    Mine are to get into uni, do more cardio and drink more water.. Pretty reasonable I think :)

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    Mute Datalore
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    Jan 1st 2015, 10:16 AM

    You forgot: “They were made for me!☺”

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    Mute De Wit
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    Jan 1st 2015, 7:00 PM

    Nope, have to start last years yet.

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    Mute Paul Lane
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    Jan 1st 2015, 2:18 PM

    I am going to cut down on

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    Mute Laurie Berry
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    Jan 1st 2015, 9:23 PM

    Drink more water and maybe cut down on the wine……

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    Mute Jake Chambers
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    Jan 3rd 2015, 9:24 AM

    Nope

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