Meath towns designated Rent Pressure Zones

Tenants in nine towns and villages in Meath are to be safe-guarded from exhorbitant rent increases following their designation yesterday by the government as Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs).
The move will come as relief to tenants in Ashbourne, Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Slane, Julianstown, Duleek, Laytown, Bettystown, the areas that have been identified as rent pressure zones.
Government Chief Whip Regina Doherty said “I have been working closely with my cabinet colleague and Housing Minister, Simon Coveney, to ensure that key towns and villages across Meath are designated as RPZ with a view to protecting local renters, be they young professionals or families from exhorbitant rent increases.
“ I have already spoken to local renters all of whom I join in welcoming this news.
“In recent years we have seen the cost of rent sky rocket in our cities and commuter belt across the country. Closer to home there are a number of key locations, particularly throughout South Meath that mirror these rental surges. The steep and continued augmentation of rent prices in the Ratoath and Ashbourne districts are as a result of both our growing population and indeed the limited supply of housing units available in the rental sector.

“This has all been done on the basis of data gathering and consultation with Local Authorities. The Housing Agency were instructed to examine the parts of the country that met the qualifying criteria, and so now core areas throughout Meath have also been designated a Rent Pressure Zone on this basis also, as part of the designation of 23 towns around the country and also Galway city.'

The towns of Trim, Navan or Kells were not included.