Council rents hike in Offaly at odds with restrictions on private landlords

The proposed “monstrous” rent increase by Offaly County Council is at variance with the 2.5% rent increase allowed for the private landlords in the Tullamore area Independent Councillor, Sean O' Brien has claimed.

"Tullamore has been declared as a Rent Pressure Zone and thus the maximum rent increase is restricted to 2.5% per year.   

“This compares with rent increases of up to 113% being demanded by Offaly County Council from Saturday next.   

“ A number of families have contacted me to say that the Council has raised their rents from €112 per week to €239 per week, an increase of 113%.   

“Another tenant in a Council apartment is seeing his rent increase from €116 per week to €160 per week, an increase of 38%. 

“The rent for a single old age Pensioner has been increased by 15.38%.   

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“These are monstrous increases and it will cause hardship for families and individuals alike," outlined Cllr O' Brien.

He added: "This has all been done without any discussion at council level and no prior notice given to me as a councillor.  From what I can gather the process used to increase the rents has been invented  by the council management.”

The public representative said the rents being demanded do not take into account peoples ability to pay and in many instances these demands are being made while the council, as a landlord, does not carry out necessary repairs to these houses.   

“I will be raising this matter at the County Council meeting on Monday next and I will be seeking the support of the other Councillors to have these increases deferred and a fair system introduced," continued Cllr O' Brien.

"The Government has increased basic social welfare and state pensions over the past few years to help those people with the increases in the cost of living.   

“Now the council is taking all of those increases back from our tenants and leaving them on the poverty line.    I will also be writing to the Minister for Housing and Local Government concerning this matter," concluded Cllr O' Brien.