Sinn Fein spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has congratulated the USI as the student renters bill debated in the Dáil this morning is set to pass.

Teachta Ó Broin:

“The student rent bill, moved during Sinn Féin Private Members’ time this morning, looks set to pass as the Minister for Housing has indicated that the government will not oppose it.

“This is huge win for the USI and for the 56 opposition TDs, who co-signed the bill, and we look forward to progressing it through the next stages as quickly as possible.

“The bill, if passed, will prevent providers of student-specific accommodation from charging more than one month’s rent in advance, and will allow students to end a tenancy in student-specific accommodation by serving the landlord with a notice of termination of 28 days.

“It also allows for the refunding of accommodation fees if the accommodation is not taken up or vacated due to Covid-19 related public health restrictions.

“It is welcome that the government will not oppose this legislation and that the Minister today has announced that further reforms are on the way to protect both student renters and others in private rented tenancies.

“The Minister and the Oireachtas Housing Committee must facilitate the speedy progress of this bill to committee stage to ensure that students get the protections that the Dáil today unanimously said they should have.”