Threshold sees rise in cases as Limerick rent increases 14%
Housing advice charity, Threshold, has dealt with more than 600 cases in Limerick since the start of 2018 as rent pressures continue to grow in the city.
The average rent in Limerick city is now €1,195 per month - an increase of 14.4% in just 12 months.
Officials confirmed that demand for services in the city continues to grow as they announced the establishment of a new weekly advice service in Limerick to assist tenants facing difficulties.
In the first five months of this year, Threshold in Limerick dealt with 175 cases.
This follows 428 cases in 2018.
Edel Conlon, southern regional manager with Threshold, said: "The private rented sector is becoming increasingly precarious and unaffordable for a growing number of tenants.
"Our new service will focus on preventing tenancy breakdown and the occurrence of homelessness in Limerick."
Much attention has been paid to the effects of the housing and homelessness crisis in our cities, but these are issues that are now affecting all parts of the country.
"Increasingly, the loss of a tenancy is resulting in homelessness.
"It is more important than ever for tenants to get the advice and support they need to enable them to sustain their tenancies and prevent the occurrence of homelessness.”
Limerick City East was recently designated as a 'Rent Pressure Zone' by the Department of Housing due to the continued rent increases.
One-quarter of all cases that Threshold dealt with in Limerick in 2018 involved tenancy terminations.
Ms Conlon added: "These cases highlight the difficulty that is being faced by tenants in the private rented sector in Limerick, and that difficulty is reflected around the country."
In 2018, Threshold received more than 76,000 calls from tenants in need of advice, advocacy or support, a 3.5% increase from the previous year.
Advisors from the charity carried out 67,710 actions across 15,878 individual cases.
Queries regarding tenancy terminations accounted for 38% of all issues, with rent increases and reviews accounting for 12%.
Calls regarding standards, repairs, HAP and deposit retention are frequent too.
The new advice service will run every Tuesday from 10.30am-1pm and 2pm-4pm from the Limerick Citizens Information Service, Unit 2, Ground Floor, Riverstone House, 23/27 Henry Street, Limerick.
