Introduction.
The Irish rental market has seen a change since 2011, with rents beginning to rise for the first time since the
property crash and less properties available to rent. With the building of new Social Housing having reached
a standstill, the private rental market is becoming the only housing option for more and more people,
especially for those on housing waiting lists. A recent research paper by Finnerty and O’Carroll (2012),
entitled From Ladders to Snakes? Housing Poverties and Vulnerabilities in Contemporary Ireland looks at the housing options available to0 low income and vulnerable households and the pathways into different tenure types. Their findings indicate changes in the Irish Housing market, including cutbacks in social housing provision, and the collapse of the property market, mean that the private rental market, often seen as a temporary measure, will now become a long term accommodation option for many.
