Renting — ‘I am seeing my age group being forced to emigrate’

Ms Walsh says the chances of owning her own home are virtually non-existent at present, as sky-high rents consume much of her monthly income. She is currently employed full-time with Social Enterprise in Dublin but works from home where she shares the apartment with two others.

Her monthly rent is €520 while her two flat-mates pay €620 and €520 each, bringing the total cost to rent the apartment to €1,660 a month.

“I simply wouldn’t be able to afford that rent on my own, I have to share,” said Ms Walsh.

She told the Irish Examiner that while her apartment is in a good location, it is freezing in the winter and the electricity bill every two months during the cold snap from October to March can cost up to €400.

Eilis Walsh: ‘I can’t find anything else around Limerick within my price range. A double room, to share, now can cost up to €1,050.’ Picture: Brian Arthur

“We believe when it was built 30 years ago, there was not much focus on insulation. We are on the top floor too, near the Shannon, so we don’t even have an apartment over us.

“It is extremely cold in the winter. We have electric radiators, but we have to bring in extra ones.

“We would love to move, but the prices of rental accommodation in Limerick now are just as bad as in Dublin. There is a rental crisis here too.

I’m paying €520 a month, that is pretty good, but you would hope to be warm in the winter, and we are not. We have those extra weighted blankets, and woolly jumpers.

Eilis, who is originally from Kilkenny but moved to Limerick around 10 years ago, has been renting independent of her family for nearly five years.

“I studied in University of Limerick, so I’ve seen the rent go up and up and up here,” she said.

“I can’t find anything else around Limerick within my price range. A double room, to share, now can cost up to €1,050.” 

She would love to be able to buy her own home but does not see that becoming a reality in the next five years.

“I am simply not in a position to buy. Right now, I would just like somewhere that is warmer, but rent can take up two-thirds of your monthly salary.

I shouldn’t have to compromise on heating to pay the rent. They should just be basic things.

In the run-up to the general election, Ms Walsh said she wants to see a “complete change in government”.

“Rents should be high on the agenda for politicians,” she said. “But this current government has not done that.

“For one, I want to see rent freezes, and more accountability when it comes to landlords. I have never met my landlord. I am paying money to a faceless person.

“I just want reasonable rents, and for the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to come down hard on landlords. I am seeing landlords renting out rooms with two beds in them so you might get a double room but end up sharing with a stranger.

“I see that on Daft.ie and MyHome.ie. I have alerts on for Limerick city, the suburbs, and the county, and I never see anything that is reasonable.

“For as long as I have been able to vote, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have not done enough for rents.

“I am seeing my age group being forced to emigrate and everyone just wanting to leave. There has been no real change, and we badly need change. There is not enough choice out there for people.”