Latest news with #rentalreform
The Guardian
29-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Calls for Australia-wide crackdown on real estate ads that use AI to hide faults and lure in renters
The New South Wales tenants union has called for nationwide reforms to crack down on misleading rental advertisements after the state government introduced new laws in response to the growing use of artificial intelligence in real estate. The legislation, announced on Sunday, will require mandatory disclosure when images in rental advertisements have been altered to conceal faults and mislead rental applicants. The state government cited examples of real estate agents using artificially generated furniture that showed a double bed in a bedroom that was only large enough to fit a single in listings, or digitally modifying photos to obscure property damage. The new laws aim to stop the unnecessary collection of personal information to protect renters' personal data. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email About a third of people in NSW rent their homes and the state government has estimated that about 187,000 pieces of identification information were collected from renters in the state every week, from requiring personal photos and social media account details to revealing the number of tattoos an applicant had. If the bill passes parliament, a standard rental application form will be introduced to clarify what information can and can not be collected. The chief executive of the Tenants' Union of NSW, Leo Patterson Ross, said 'all renters in Australia' should be granted these protections. 'This is an area of renting that has had almost no protection for renters at a time that they are often vulnerable and under pressure to find a new home,' said Ross, who helped consult on the bill. 'We have seen some progress on standardising application processes in other states but they haven't included consideration of the whole range of ways information is being collected or ensuring advertising is an authentic representation of the property on offer, or at least manipulation is disclosed.' Ross said the use of fake photography had become a 'growing frustration' for many amid the growth of AI and digital manipulation. 'Being misled into visiting a property that is not suitable is frustrating for prospective tenants and may mean they miss out on other properties,' he said. 'But it also risks inflating the rent itself by inflating the number of people who appear interested in a place and increasing pressure on someone to rush to put in an application or even offer above the advertised rent.' Ross said just as with AI or embedded networks, governments should look at other important information that may mislead or significantly alter people's interest in properties. 'Landlords could also be required to disclose at the advertising stage the age of the photos being used, the repairs and other compliance history, the energy efficiency performance … and provide floor plans for the property as well as current required disclosures,' he said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The minister for better regulation and fair trading, Anoulack Chanthivong, said renters were 'entitled to dignity and privacy when living in a rental property – and this extends to their personal information too'. 'These reforms are a very commonsense solution to a very real problem for people in the rental market, and I would love to see other states and territories follow NSW's lead,' he said. 'Regulation reform is an ongoing journey and of course we are always looking at options to improve protection for consumers in the property market.' Corporations for agents and landlords would be up for penalties of $49,500 if they broke the privacy rules, or $11,000 for individuals, under the new laws. Individuals would be imposed $5,500 fines or $22,000 for businesses for non-disclosure of misleading or altered photographs. The NSW rental commissioner, Trina Jones, said cyber breaches and data theft were a 'major privacy risk' to individuals and the businesses the collected and held information. 'There's a cyber breach reported in Australia every six minutes,' she said. 'Renters shouldn't have to trade away their privacy just to find a place to live.' The chief executive of the Real Estate Institute of NSW, Tim McKibbin, said for the purposes of real estate transactions, including residential rentals, there was often a necessity for agents to collect some personal information. But he said when that no longer existed, information should be deleted. He said uploading photography that didn't accurately represent the property was a 'false and misleading' practice.
Irish Times
14-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
‘Purposefully complicated': What young tenants think of new rental rules
Fear, worry and powerlessness are words repeated by young renters as they digest the announcement this week of an overhaul of Ireland's rental market. Emily Thomas (26) from Kildare rents a one-bedroom apartment in Rathmines, Dublin , with her boyfriend. 'We're both paying over €1,000 each for that,' says Ms Thomas. 'It's a great location and we feel very lucky to have it but it is quite a financial strain.' She feels that the new rental reforms are 'purposefully complicated' and an ineffective way of tackling the housing crisis. READ MORE The reforms will see a new system of rent controls cover the entire country, including the almost a fifth of renters who live outside the existing rent pressure zones (RPZ), with rent increases capped at 2 per cent. Rent controls for new apartment blocks, however, will be tied to inflation even when this exceeds 2 per cent as part of efforts to encourage construction. For Ms Thomas, who works in media production, the removal of RPZs for new builds is a 'worrying' prospect. 'In previous places that I've lived, obviously the RPZs aren't perfect, but they did provide a certain level of security when I was struggling for rent.' Expressing a degree of pessimism that is shared by other young tenants, she adds: 'I don't see myself owning a home any time soon. I know I'll be back and forth between my parents' house and renting.' Neasa Nic Corcráin (21), a Trinity College Dublin (TCD) student from Co Wexford, is subletting a room in a friend's family home in Castleknock, Dublin, for €1,000 a month. 'I was looking at other possible sublets and they would be €1,500 a month,' she says. She is searching for somewhere else to rent by September. Last summer, she had to turn down job opportunities in Dublin due to the city's rental market. In what she describes as 'a loop of evil', Nic Corcráin feels this has come at a personal cost. 'I can't get these cool opportunities that enable me to further my career because I can't afford to live in Dublin, and if I can't further my career I can't earn enough to afford to live here.' Looking at the rental reforms, she says her main feeling is 'fear'. 'From my understanding it gives them [landlords] more incentive to be able to kick people out. 'I'm very worried about how I'm going to deal this coming academic year. I'm on three scholarships and am still kind of struggling to afford stuff.' Mairéad Hanlon (23), from Leitrim, works in the property sector. Having attended University College Cork, she is now living in Dublin for the first time and is currently subletting in Clontarf. She is looking for a more secure place to lease long term with her boyfriend. 'I was shocked to see how few bedrooms are available here online even in comparison to Cork,' she says. 'The majority on offer are twin or bunk beds, with nine or more to house and [landlords are] still looking for €700 or €800 a month. 'My concern now is that while the State is in a housing emergency and everywhere is in need of rent caps, diluting it will scare current smaller landlords of older buildings out of the market as they feel squeezed.' She believes the new changes may cause landlords to offer shorter leases to tenants, making their situations more precarious. 'There has to be strong protections in place to protect tenants to ensure the spirit of the reform is achieved, and landlords cannot look to other ways to inspire a tenant to leave.' [ Rent changes: How will tenants be impacted by the plans for Ireland's rental market? Opens in new window ] Aoife Munday (23), also from Leitrim, is working in law. Having also recently moved to Dublin, she rents 'a standard box single bedroom' in Churchtown for €562 per month. Aoife Munday said the latest changes 'will probably leave more people staying in their current accommodation' 'Most of the places I viewed on Daft were out of my budget and I could only find somewhere reasonable through a friend of a friend. 'I live in a rent pressure zone and that's probably the main reason why my rent is quite cheap.' She said the latest changes are 'concerning for renting in the future,' adding that 'it will probably leave more people staying in their current accommodation'. The Government says the reforms will offer new protections for renters, highlighting that 'no-fault evictions' will be prohibited for tenants whose landlords own four or more properties. Smaller landlords will still be able to evict tenants in limited circumstances, however, such as a close family member needing the property or if they are in financial difficulty. Anna Winifred is sceptical about such reassurances. She said the reforms would particularly affect young people as they more frequently find themselves in precarious housing situations and often enter new tenancies year on year. 'I can't imagine landlords won't take advantage of this,' she said. Ms Winifred pays about €600 a month for a room in Fairview, north Dublin. She sees herself as fortunate to be paying under €750, which she says is the lower end of what her peers pay, although her house is 'in dire condition'. She doesn't believe the Government is truly prioritising renters' rights. 'All of these reforms are in the hope of incentivising investors to build more new-build accommodation, yet there's no guarantee that will happen, and it puts people at risk of higher rents,' she says. Annemarie O'Connor, a recent graduate of modern languages at TCD, has been renting in Dublin since 2021. She feels that she is 'lucky to have' a landlord registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and is paying €560 a month for an en-suite room in Drumcondra. What keeps her 'comfortable and reassured' is that 'I know legally landlords aren't allowed to raise the rent by more than 2 per cent a year', she says. While she sees herself staying in Ireland 'long term', she feels 'abandoned by my government'. Describing the latest announcement as 'another dig at Irish youth', she wonders if she, like others in her demographic, will ever be able to afford a home in Ireland. 'Will I have to share a cleaning rota with other housemates for my whole life?'
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Rents unlikely to come down for several years after reforms, Coalition told before agreeing overhaul
It will be years before any increased housing supply brought about by rental market reforms lowers the cost of renting, the Coalition was told before agreeing to overhaul the sector. In the meantime, average rents may increase in the short term, according to a research paper published on Tuesday as the Government unveiled reforms of the rental sector. Cabinet agreed to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) nationwide, as well as increasing tenant protections from so-called 'no-fault evictions'. It also agreed that rents in new tenancies after next February can be reset every six years, with newly built apartments to be carved out from the RPZ legislation and allowed to impose higher rent increases in line with inflation. READ MORE Minister for Housing James Browne said the 200,000 tenants currently renting in existing RPZs 'will see no change' to their rental conditions. 'Existing tenants will still rent under the current RPZ, which is 2 per cent or inflation, whichever is lower,' a spokesperson for the Minister said. The Government hopes that the removal of 'severe' aspects of the RPZ regime, which was due to expire at the end of the year, will encourage investment. A report drawn up by the Housing Agency for Mr Browne said that reforming the RPZs along the lines of the Government decision should act as a stimulus to investment and help keep smaller landlords in the sector. However, it also warned that 'standardised average rents would increase in the short term' and outlined 'it will take at least three to four years for this investment to result in more homes being built'. In the longer term, any increased supply of rental properties should have a dampening effect on rising rents, it said. Mr Browne said he could not put a time frame on when he expected rents would begin to fall, but that this could only start to happen if the Irish market was made more attractive for international investors. 'I expect rents to fall over time. What that particular length of time is, I wouldn't be able to predict,' he said. There has been a collapse in institutional investment in Irish apartment development in recent years, prompting renewed concern that housing output will dramatically underperform targets. The Housing Agency review recommended that the existing system be modified, finding the current rent cap of 2 per cent and the inability to reset market rents in between tenancies was 'severe'. It recommended reforms and added protections for tenants. The steps sparked clashes in the Dáil, with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald telling Taoiseach Micheál Martin the Government was 'screwing renters' and 'doing it brazenly', while Mr Martin insisted the new plans for tenants are a 'balanced set of proposals'. Ms McDonald also claimed that the resetting of rents every six years to full market rate 'is essentially the death knell of rent pressure zones' and that students 'will be amongst the first hit by your actions'. Mr Martin insisted, however, that existing tenants will not face rent increases beyond 2 per cent and that RPZs will be extended across the State. He said the fundamental objective was policy certainty for renters and increased supply. Social Democrats housing spokesman Rory Hearne said the plan would lead to 'skyrocketing rents', with more families and children being made homeless. Labour Party housing spokesman Conor Sheehan said the measures were 'piecemeal' and predicted institutional investors would continue to lobby Government until all protections are lifted from the private rented market. He said the new proposals would lock in unaffordable rent increases. Mr Browne said the Coalition would press ahead with further reforms designed to encourage homebuilding in the weeks ahead. He said currently, a lot of investors 'won't even look at this country to invest', believing they could make a loss on construction projects here.
BreakingNews.ie
10-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Rents in Ireland are ‘way too high', Housing Minister says
It is expected to take up to four years for rental sector reforms measures to begin to drive increased supply and dampen rising rents, according to a policy review. Minister for Hosuing James Browne said rents in Ireland are 'way too high' as he unveiled a new package of rent controls. Advertisement Mr Browne confirmed that rent pressure zones (RPZs) will be extended across the country. RPZs apply to areas of high demand and cap rent increases at 2 per cent per year. The RPZ system, which was due to expire at the end of the year, will in effect be extended nationwide from March and see all existing tenancies in Ireland come under a 2 per cent cap or inflation, whichever is lower. Rent increases in new apartment developments will be capped by inflation and not the 2 per cent cap to incentivise new development of such properties. Advertisement The policy direction being taken by Government broadly follows recommendations from the Housing Agency following a review of RPZs. Asked whether these proposals would reduce average rent costs in Ireland, the Minister said he expected rents 'to fall over time' but would not comment over what time period this would happen. 'This is not being presented as a silver bullet. This is to strike a balance, to bring clarity and to bring certainty,' Mr Browne said. However, the Housing Agency has predicted that the dampening effect on rising rents from increased supply will not be felt until the 'longer term' as it will take years for investment decisions around the building of new apartments to be made. Advertisement It said standardised average rents are actually expected to increase in the short term but the measures 'should act as a stimulus to investment' and improve the retention of smaller landlords in the market, which is particularly important outside of Dublin where institutional landlords are not present. Its report states: 'It will take at least three to four years for this investment to result in more homes being built, but in the longer term any increased supply of rental properties should have a dampening effect on rising rents.' On the other hand, officials otherwise expect rent to track upwards in the absence of increased supply. Rent pressure zones (RPZs) apply to areas of high demand and cap rent increases at 2% per year (Alamy/PA) Mr Browne said that financial investors currently 'won't even look at Dublin' because of the 2% RPZ cap, which will be lifted for new apartment developments and replaced with the inflation limit. Advertisement On Tuesday, Cabinet agreed to legislate for Mr Browne's swathe of new rent and tenancy reforms. New tenancies created from March 1 2026 onwards will be set at market value and offer six-year minimum rolling tenancies. At the end of the six-year tenancy, the rent can be reset and 'put back to the market', meaning the first series of rent resets under the reforms will take place in 2032. Large landlords, defined as having four or more tenancies, will be banned from carrying out no-fault evictions for tenancies beginning from March 1st, 2026. Advertisement A small landlord can end tenancies via a 'no fault eviction' in limited circumstances, such as economic hardship or to move a family member in, but if they do that, they cannot reset the rent. 'If there is a dispute between a landlord and a tenant on what the market value is, they can go to the Residential Tenancy Board (RTB) for adjudication,' Mr Browne said. 'A tenancy of minimum duration of six years is a real leap forward for tenant protections in return for allowing landlords to reset rent.' The Department of Housing said that all landlords can end a tenancy where there is a breach of tenant obligations or where the dwelling is no longer suited to the tenants. The cut-off point between a small and large decision is understood to have been a political decision around distinguishing 'accidental' landlords with one or two properties from those engaged in 'business activity'. The Department also said that all landlords will have the right to reset rent where the rent is below market at the end of each six-year tenancy, unless a 'no-fault eviction' occurs. The new measures are designed to see a reduction in no-fault evictions. 'Resetting of rents will not be allowed following a no-fault eviction. Rent resetting will only be allowed where a tenant leaves a tenancy of their own volition or has breached their tenant obligations,' Mr Browne said. The minister added that rent resetting would not be allowed during any tenancy created on or before 28 February 2026 due to the uncertainties it would cause for those with existing tenancies. Asked about who would police whether the ban on resetting rents except in the case of no-fault evictions is being adhered to, Mr Browne said it would be the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). 'I would hope that people will report landlords who are breaking the law in this respect,' he said. He said he was engaging with the Attorney General on what level of fines can be imposed on landlords for breaking eviction rules. He said they should be 'higher' and 'substantial' but there are limits in increasing fines before it crosses into the jurisdiction of the courts. He said he would also 'like to see' a rents register that would bring transparency to what a property had charged in rent previously. 'Our rents are way too high in this country, we know that. We know the only way to address that is increasing supply, so we have more competition, and then you will start to see rents go down.' It is expected the RTB will require increased resourcing to monitor and ensure compliance with the new measures, with an understanding that there have been cases where landlords have abused the current system around evictions and rent increases. Meanwhile, it is understood a new Housing Plan being developed by the Department will not be ready before the Dáil summer recess in July.
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Landlords could face stiffer fines for breaking rent rules
The Government is considering higher fines for landlords who breach rental rules in the wake of cabinet approving plans to overhaul the sector. Government on Tuesday agreed to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) across the country while also allowing higher rent increases in new-build apartments. Minister for Housing James Browne said the level of fines was being looked at to see 'how much can we increase those fines'. However, he was not yet able to say what level the higher fines might come in at. There was a level after which it would be more appropriate for the courts to impose a fine, he said, rather than the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) which is to be responsible for policing the new regime. READ MORE Briefing reporters after Cabinet on Tuesday, Mr Browne was unable to offer a specific timeline on when he believed rents would come down, saying it would only happen after increased supply and investment which he believed would follow from the reforms agreed. He would only say he expected rents to fall over time. 'What that particular length of time is, I wouldn't be able to predict,' he said. The new rules will allow rents in new build apartments to be raised above the current limit of 2 per cent after six years, while also ending 'no fault evictions' for landlords with four or more tenancies. Under the new rules, the circumstances where a smaller landlord can evict someone in order to move in a family member will be tightened. A restriction will be introduced on an eviction being allowed only when an immediate family member needs the accommodation, or when the landlord is facing bankruptcy, insolvency or 'some other particular hardship'. If a landlord exercises their right to break a tenancy, they will not be allowed to reset the rent, Mr Browne said - meaning there would not be an economic incentive to engineer an eviction. All landlords will be able to sell a property with the tenant remaining in situ at any time. Landlords will not be allowed to reset rents during tenancies created before the end of next February. The Minister also said there would be further funding and support for the RTB which will be tasked with enforcing the rules. 'The Government wishes to put the sector on notice today that from the 1st of March 2026, stronger tenant protections will apply,' he said. From next March larger landlords - classified as those having four or more tenancies – will not be able to put a 'no fault' eviction in place. Mr Browne said tenancies will be for an unlimited time, with a 'minimum duration' of six years, which he said would be a 'real leap forward' for tenant protections. Under the reforms, only new build apartments will be able to increase rents by more than 2 per cent currently allowed under the Rent Pressure Zone legislation. This will be limited to increases equivalent to the rate of inflation at the time. That will only apply to apartments being commenced from today, so it will be several years before these units come to the market. 'The changes I'm making today will have a significant impact for our rental sector, making much needed investment more attractive while strengthening the protections and providing greater certainty for renters,' he said. He said there was a 'fine balance' to be struck as the State aims to attract investment in the apartment building sector while ensuring fair treatment for tenants. Mr Browne is promising a suite of further measures, including planning extensions and planning exemptions in the coming weeks. 'This is not being presented as a silver bullet. This is to strike a balance, to bring clarity and to bring certainty,' he said. 'Without all of these things we cannot ramp up the supply needed, and I'm determined and ambitious to get this right.'
