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Record low number of HAP properties available to rent

The report, which examines 16 areas of the country, found that there were only 35 HAP properties available.

THERE ARE A record low number of houses available to rent for people accessing the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), according to the latest report by the Simon Community.

The Simon Communities Locked Out of the Market report for September, which examines 16 areas around the country, found that there were only 35 HAP properties available to rent last month.

This is the lowest ever figure recorded by the Simon Community, with all 35 HAP properties falling within the higher discretionary rates while none were available under standard HAP rates.

It is a massive drop compared to September 2021, when there were 192 HAP properties available.

Of the 35 HAP properties, 23 were available within Dublin city, while there were none available in nine of the 16 areas examined.

These areas were:

  • Athlone
  • Galway City Centre
  • Galway City suburbs
  • Co Leitrim
  • Limerick City suburbs
  • Limerick City Centre
  • Sligo Town
  • Portlaoise
  • Waterford

For single persons and couples, there were 11 properties available under the discretionary rate, with only one available in both Kildare and Cork, while the remaining nine were in Dublin.

For a couple or a lone parent with a child, there were 13 properties available under discretionary rates. Of these, six were outside Dublin.

For a couple/one parent and two children, there were 24 properties available, with 13 of these overlapping with homes available to one-child families.

The report also found that there was a record low 392 available properties to rent at any price across the 16 areas, which is down 61% compared to September 2021, when there were 1,017 properties available.

Wayne Stanley, the head of Policy and Communications at the Simon Communities of Ireland said:

“If you break down the 35 properties available, if local authorities apply the maximum discretions available to them and put it in the context of the housing and homelessness crisis, in reality no properties are available to those trying to access privately rented homes to exit or avoid homelessness.

“In this context, the moratorium on evictions being considered by Government at the moment, is an imperative. However, it is not in itself an answer to the crisis. We need action that will increase the stock of affordable homes.”

Stanley called on the Government to act on both vacancy and engage with landlords who are seeking to leave the rental market to retain the current stock of rental properties.

It comes as the Department of Housing recorded a record 10,805 people accessing emergency accommodation in August, which surpassed the previous record set in July.

August is the eighth consecutive month where the number of people accessing emergency accommodation has risen.

In total, there were 7,585 adults who accessed emergency accommodation in the last week of August. Of those, 4,854 were male and 2,731 were female

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53 Comments
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    Mute chiqey
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:15 AM

    Isn’t HAP just the government using taxpayers money to pay other people’s mortgages? Use the money to build build build — although I do understand that people are desperate now for somewhere to live but HAP can’t be the answer long term

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    Mute Sean Minihane
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:25 AM

    @chiqey: well its the taxpayer not having to fork out half a million quid to buy/build a house for someone who needs housing.

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    Mute Vic's Burd
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:26 AM

    @chiqey: And what do you suggest we do with the 14-15,000 tenancies already being paid by HAP? Turf them out while waiting for the houses to be built?

    The current HAP fund would probably only build enough houses for 25-35% of the families currently getting it…

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    Mute chiqey
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:38 AM

    @Sean Minihane: ridiculous comment

    37
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    Mute chiqey
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:38 AM

    @Vic’s Burd: phase it out obviously

    49
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    Mute Benny McHale
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:40 AM

    @Sean Minihane: Buying/building is preferable to paying rent to private landlords. At least the state owns the asset and can re use it after the tenant’s death. It also brings in rental income and provides security of tenure. Under the current scheme, the rent is going straight into a private landlord’s coffers.

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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Oct 17th 2022, 10:07 AM

    @chiqey: HAP is just another world for rent allowance, and rent allowance has always existed, just as those needing rent allowance have always existed, be they renting a private or state rented house/apartment. Re: State houses: although being built, I think this idea of free houses is on the way out as it’s unsustainable. I think any the idea is ‘let the private sector handle the heavy lifting. In this way the government can collect even more tax. Financially, it makes more sense to governments, I would theorise.

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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Oct 17th 2022, 10:27 AM

    @Keth Warsaw: yes on paper it might make sense financially for the gov to let the private side sort it out with HAP / rent allowance.
    Tax take , no costs to maintain assets etc does seem attractive, but it isn’t a long term solution.

    Carrot and stick approach to driving up property construction is needed. Sticks being vacant land taxes etc. Carrots being tax breaks of some sort. I know it’s not a popular view to help developers, but it’s the most effective way to promote construction.

    29
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    Mute Earth Traveller
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    Oct 17th 2022, 10:34 AM

    @Roger Bond: That’s an awful lot of zeros you’ve got there. Please, can I have one of those houses that cost 50 million to build?

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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Oct 17th 2022, 12:17 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: Yep, good points. I’d agree.

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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:06 PM

    @Keth Warsaw: It doesn’t make sense for the State to give private landlords €1Bn a year(&rising every year)on temporary insecure rentals through HAP,RS &RAS while no sense of urgency to build secure social housing and genuinely affordable housing for a growing population!
    One of the main reasons for homelessness is tenants getting Notices of Termination from landlords and we can see that homelessness is increasing every year.Smaller landlords are at a disadvantage compared to “vulture funds”.The Business Post had an article in 2017:”Revealed:How vulture funds paid €20,000 in tax on assets of €20Bn”.
    CSO suggested before this year that in 28years our population will grow by another million people.Ireland needs adequate secure affordable housing stock now, let alone in 28years!If HAP etc are still used during those years as housing then that would at least be €28Bn given for private rented insecure accommodation!
    Also what will happen to those working and struggling to pay rents when they retire,they won’t be able to afford those rents then?The irony is that rents can be double or treble the cost of a mortgage payment.

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    Mute Barbara Coleman
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:18 PM

    @chiqey: just to confirm – small landlords can’t refuse HAP..in a lot of cases tenants move in and then advise they are HAP tenants !! I agree with you Govn should be providing housing for these people but the fact is – its far cheaper to let landlords look after them and put up with all the hassle that comes with them otherwise it wouldn’t be happening !!

    19
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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:30 PM

    @Barbara Coleman: pretty sure there is no legal obligation to accept a HAP tenant. Hence why only 30 odd properties are listed as open to HAP.

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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:34 PM

    @Barbara Coleman: I should have added that openly stating that you refuse Hap is the issue. But you can easily refuse a HAP tenant by screening via references and employment data being gathered.

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Oct 17th 2022, 2:49 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: Bottom line is that HAP is not the solution, we now know that and have done for years. Build state owned homes to rent at affordable prices before we fall off the precipice

    20
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    Mute Sean Minihane
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    Oct 17th 2022, 4:02 PM

    @Benny McHale: the government buying all these houses would costs a massive amount of money up front and then they would be responsible for paying to maintain and modernise them constantly. They would also be down all the private landlord tax income.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Oct 17th 2022, 5:52 PM

    @Benny McHale: You’ve hit on a big issue at the moment which needs to be seriously looked at. There are thousands of 3 and 4 bed council house’s with 1 or 2 pensioners living in them. It’s inappropriate use of the housing stock. This “home for life” model needs to be changed.

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    Mute Ann Bourke
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    Oct 17th 2022, 6:26 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: it is illegal to refuse HAP. A couple can be both working and still qualify for HAP. What is wrong with tenant’s that are in receipt of HAP?

    2
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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Oct 17th 2022, 10:00 AM

    There’s a reason that no one wants to open up their property to Hap tenants.

    We’re not allowed to talk about it of course.

    But, the market reacts to the realities of the market and unsurprisingly here we are.

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    Mute YsZw62bj
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    Oct 17th 2022, 11:31 AM

    @Paolo Fandango: What are you not allowed to talk about, the way you stereotype all HAP recipients as being work-shy bad tenants and badly behaved despite the income off being €45K gross, a salary many hard working people are still well below? Or are you not allowed to talk about some landlords not wanting the hassle of a bit of paperwork or having to have the property up to a certain standard for it? Which one is it? No one’s stopping you from expressing yourself

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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Oct 17th 2022, 12:37 PM

    @Megan Finnegan Ward: if it was a low friction way for landlords to let their properties then it would absolutely be much more heavily subscribed. But unfortunately it isn’t.

    Also, I didn’t stereo type anyone. You actually did with your assumptions about landlords.

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    Mute YsZw62bj
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    Oct 17th 2022, 12:46 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: Are you denying that some don’t want to get involved because they see it as a bit of hassle? Sounds like you’re contradicting yourself there. Or are you denying how many people stereotype all recipients as British scroungers? I’ve asked the question, what is the reason some won’t take it and why aren’t you allowed to talk about it?

    12
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    Mute YsZw62bj
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    Oct 17th 2022, 12:57 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: Brutish, not British, shouldn’t need to be clarified but someone will be along to point it out otherwise

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    Mute Sean
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:07 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: HAP tenants are considered higher risk because they often don’t have a source of income that can pay the mortgage. The local authorities should stand over the rent that is paid or not paid so that the landlord always gets paid. That would make HAP tenants far more desirable and landlords would be tripping over each other to get HAP tenants in.

    26
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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:21 PM

    @Megan Finnegan Ward: I’ve checked my original comment and there’s nothing I’ve said to contradict myself.

    My original point still stands. If it was a low friction way to rent a property then landlords would have no issue with it. The market would welcome it with open arms.

    But, it doesn’t. This could be due to a mix of the reasons you’ve mentioned.

    26
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    Mute YsZw62bj
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:25 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: ‘There’s a reason no one wants to open up…we’re not allowed to talk about it of course’. What’s this big secret thing that everyone knows but you’re not allowed to talk about?

    12
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    Mute Paolo Fandango
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:35 PM

    @Megan Finnegan Ward: your incessant efforts to get answers to these questions are the very reason that they are things that can’t be discussed openly.

    27
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    Mute The next small thing
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    Oct 17th 2022, 2:13 PM

    @Megan Finnegan Ward: well there is a higher probability of problems with tenants who are in receipt of HAP, this may not be down to the tenant as I’m aware of a case where the tenant paid their rent to the council but it was coded to another account and as it looked as if the rent was in arrears the HAP payment to the landlord was stopped for a number of months. With demand for rentals so high why would a landlord take on extra hassle for no good reason?

    21
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    Mute Den O'Con
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    Oct 17th 2022, 3:58 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: no one? But yet there are almost 60000 active tenancies in the country

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Oct 17th 2022, 4:10 PM

    @Sean: HAP is paid to the landlords! The tenants contribution is paid the local authority! What are you talking about?

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    Mute The next small thing
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    Oct 17th 2022, 6:00 PM

    @Marie Broomfield: If the tenant doesn’t pay the rent to the local authority then the payment to the landlord is stopped regardless of reason.

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    Mute YsZw62bj
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    Oct 17th 2022, 11:06 PM

    @Paolo Fandango: ‘I can’t answer your question because you keep asking it’.

    No one is stopping you talking about it. Quite the opposite. It’s really strange that you straight out refuse to answer in each reply.

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    Mute YsZw62bj
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    Oct 17th 2022, 11:07 PM

    @The next small thing: Great, a very simple valid that you’ve just discussed openly, do you think that’s what Paolo insists we aren’t allowed to talk about? Why wouldn’t anyone be able to openly talk about potential admin issues?

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    Mute YsZw62bj
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    Oct 17th 2022, 11:09 PM

    @Den O’Con: The ‘no one’ gave me a chuckle too :)

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    Mute blue exile
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:25 AM

    More landlords will rushing to sell up after the annoucement yesterday of possible eviction bans and rent freezes. Absolutely clueless this lot.

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    Mute Damon16
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:56 AM

    @blue exile: the housing issues atm were created by misguided populist Gov policies and now they’re trying to fix it with more misguided populist Gov policies. The problem is the only alternative Gov atm is a SF led one and they’re proposing even more misguided populist policies that would make the problems a lot worse.

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    Mute Kenny Hyslop
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    Oct 17th 2022, 4:07 PM

    @Damon16: I have a crazy idea to solve this problem…. BUILD HOUSES! I think it might work.

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    Mute Jason Walsh
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:32 PM

    @blue exile: many have alrestsold up already that’s why the rental market is a mess

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    Mute Celtic Eagle
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:14 AM

    More government failure. And more signs the country beyond full.

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    Mute Cian Martin
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:24 AM

    @Celtic Eagle: the country isn’t full. There were more people living here 200 years ago.

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    Mute Celtic Eagle
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:43 AM

    @Cian Martin: We are talking about housing here brains. Its obviously full.

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    Mute Sequoia
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    Oct 17th 2022, 10:48 AM

    @Cian Martin: While youre correct, the country isnt full, theres plenty of space to build on, theres plenty of vacant properties to be refurbished etc., there is a shortage of habitible properties.

    As to the arguement “there were more people living here 200 years ago”.

    I hear this thrown up every sonoften and while it is factually true, the conditions they lived in were abomnible.

    A city center townhouse that once housed one family and servents, turned into a tenemant that housed up to 200 people, ramshackle cottages, no indoor plumbing or electricity, barely having shelter from the elements, absolutely no suitable premises. People literally starving to death. Disease ridden with low life expectancy.

    To simply quote population figures of a century or two ago is simply ridiculous.

    85
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    Mute Pat Moriarty
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    Oct 17th 2022, 12:31 PM

    @Cian Martin: exactly, and half emigrated or died of starvation

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    Mute Kenny Hyslop
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    Oct 17th 2022, 4:07 PM

    @Celtic Eagle: No it is not. There’s just not enough houses. We need more people to fill jobs at the moment.

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    Mute Susan Keane
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:33 AM

    The problem is that 4-5 bedroom houses are given to one parent/one child units. There is an excess of vacant rooms in the country.

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    Mute G Row.
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    Oct 17th 2022, 9:59 AM

    @Susan Keane: The problem is FFG.

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    Mute Aidan Walsh
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    Oct 17th 2022, 1:51 PM

    @Susan Keane: no they are not.

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    Mute Susan Keane
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    Oct 17th 2022, 2:42 PM

    @Aidan Walsh: Aidan, they most certainly are. I have first hand knowledge.

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    Mute Aidan Walsh
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    Oct 17th 2022, 2:48 PM

    @Susan Keane: oh, excuse me… I’ll let you provide evidence. However I’ll point you to places like choice based letting and various other government sites which have strict rules on such things.

    8
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    Mute Susan Keane
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    Oct 17th 2022, 3:22 PM

    @Aidan Walsh: Aidan, I’m not posting merely for the purpose of engaging in a debate with you. This is happening. You can quote any rules/guidelines/circulars that you wish but it does not take away from the fact.

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    Mute Kenny Hyslop
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    Oct 17th 2022, 4:05 PM

    @Susan Keane: What planet do you live on? I’d very much like to visit.

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Oct 17th 2022, 4:12 PM

    @Susan Keane: given? don’t you mean rented to!

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Oct 17th 2022, 12:05 PM

    It’s silly the government taking 50% of the rent from the landlords apparently and giving it back as HAP payments to someone else surly there is a different system to this ,year on year more landlords exiting the market making it impossible for rents to come down
    Locking rents only makes it cheaper for some while others are fleeced, by all means control the rents but not at the rate it is being done

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