Right, let’s have a laugh, shall we? Apparently, rent prices are going up again. Shocker, I know. It’s like clockwork, innit? They just keep climbing like a toddler on an espresso high, reaching for the sky, completely oblivious to the fact that they’re about to fall flat on their face.
Carlow, bless its socks, is feeling the pinch even more with rents leaping up 8.5% year-on-year.
I mean, 8.5%! That’s enough to make your eyes water faster than you can say "double-glazing wouldn’t hurt, though".
And it’s not just Carlow. Nationwide, rents have been on an upward trajectory for what feels like forever – 15 quarters, to be precise. That’s like, what, three and a half years? You wouldn’t catch me renting at these prices. I’d rather live in a cardboard box and call it "minimalist living."
The average rent is now a cool €1,955 a month. (£1,725 in pounds, for our British friends across the pond, who are probably laughing their socks off at our predicament). You could get a decent second-hand car for that kind of money!
120 Homes Available? More Like 12!
Oh, and get this: there are only about 120 homes available to rent in Carlow.
120?!
That’s like trying to find a parking spot in a city centre on Christmas Eve! It’s ridiculous!
You’d think with all these empty buildings standing around, they could knock a few together and rent ’em out.
But no. We’ve got the government wagging their finger and telling us to "tighten our belts".
Tighten our belts? I’ve been緊缩my belt for years!
It’s more like rationing baked beans and wearing last season’s clothes
Meanwhile, the rest of the stuff? Just keeps going up and up.
It’s enough to make you want to start a revolution, isn’t it?
But then you remember, you’d probably just end up paying rent for a cardboard box on the revolution headquarters’ barricades.
So, we just have to grin and bear it, I suppose.
And maybe invest in a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Because let’s face it, the sound of constantly rising rent prices is enough to drive anyone mad.
Renters in Carlow’s neighboring counties experienced an 8.5% rise in rental prices over the past year, a slowdown from the 12.4% surge reported earlier in 2024. This persistent upward trend in rents is directly linked to the extremely limited number of available rental properties. As of November 1st, there were just over 120 homes available for rent, a marginal increase compared to the previous year, but still significantly below the average availability witnessed in the late 2010s.
Across the entire nation, average market rents climbed by 1.7% during the third quarter of 2024, extending a streak of consecutive rent increases to an impressive 15 quarters. This indicates a consistent upward pressure on rental costs throughout the country.
The average monthly rent for open-market properties nationwide stood at €1,955 in the third quarter of the year, reflecting a substantial 7.2% increase year-on-year. Furthermore, this average is a remarkable 43% higher than pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the significant impact the pandemic has had on the rental market.
What are some specific measures the government could implement to increase the availability of affordable housing?
## Rent Relief Woes: A Local Perspective
**[INTRO MUSIC]**
**HOST:** Welcome back to the show. Joining us today is Emily O’Brien, a housing advocate working with families in Carlow. Emily, thanks for joining us.
**EMILY:** Thanks for having me.
**HOST:** Emily, we’ve been hearing some alarming reports lately about rent prices skyrocketing, particularly here in Carlow. Is this something you’re seeing on the ground?
**EMILY:** Absolutely. It’s a dire situation. Families are being squeezed to the breaking point. We’re seeing rent increases of 8.5% year-on-year in Carlow alone [ [1](https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/1004/1408737-ireland-private-rental-sector-homelessness-housing-crisis/) ], which is just unsustainable for many.
**HOST:** And it’s not just Carlow, right? We’re hearing reports of nationwide rental increases for years now.
**EMILY:** Yes, this has been a long-standing issue [ [1](https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/1004/1408737-ireland-private-rental-sector-homelessness-housing-crisis/) ]. It’s been 15 quarters – almost four years - of continuous rent increases. The average rent across the country is now €1,955 a month. That’s simply out of reach for many working families.
**HOST:** And what about the availability of rental properties?
**EMILY:** It’s shocking. We’re seeing numbers like 120 available homes in an entire county. Imagine trying to find a place to live with that limited supply.
**HOST:**
It sounds incredibly frustrating. What needs to happen to address this crisis?
**EMILY:** We need a multi-faceted approach. We need more affordable housing built, stricter rent controls implemented, and a greater focus on supporting families facing eviction. The government needs to stop telling people to tighten their belts and start investing in real solutions to this crisis.
**HOST:**
Well said, Emily. Thanks for shedding light on this important issue. We’ll continue to follow this story closely.
**[OUTRO MUSIC]**
