Introduction
Locked Out of the Market is a snapshot study1 undertaken over three consecutive days in June 2020 (22nd, 23rd and 24th). This report tracks the number of properties advertised to rent within the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits. Details were gathered from Daft.ie2 for the following areas: Cork City Centre3, Cork City Suburbs, Dublin City Centre4, Dublin City North, Dublin City South, Galway City Centre5, Galway City suburbs, Limerick City Centre6, Limerick City suburbs, Portlaoise, North Kildare7, Athlone, Sligo Town8, Dundalk, Co. Leitrim9, and Waterford City Centre.10 This is the seventeenth snapshot study of this kind and compares the findings to the previous studies providing indicative point-in-time data on the pressure in the private rental sector and reflects the lived experience of people trying to find a home to rent in this period. This study also examined availability of properties within discretionary HAP limits in each of the 16 areas. This rate is calculated as up to an additional 50% of the standard rate in Dublin, and up to an additional 20% of the standard rate elsewhere. The four household categories examined are as follows:
- Single person
- Couple
- Couple/One Parent and One Child
- Couple/One Parent and Two Children
The study counts one bedroom units for single people and couples, two-bedroom units for couples/one parent and one child, and two bedrooms or more for couples/one parent with two children. It should be noted that this represents a change in methodology from previous iterations of this study, whereby one bedroom units had been counted as viable options for the couples/ one parent and one children category. This change means direct comparisons of the number of HAP qualifying properties in this report are compared to previous reports is not available.
