Rents shock as some council tenants see hike of €60 a week

Some of Westmeath County Council’s tenants are reeling after rent hikes of as much as €60 per week – among them, a number of people who are in receipt of the carers allowance.

“People are saying that we're becoming nearly the most expensive landlord out there, with the rate rents keep increasing in this local authority,” Cllr David Jones declared as he raised the issue at the January monthly meeting of Westmeath County Counci.

Cllr Paul Hogan cited figures showing that rents for local authority tenants in Westmeath are more expensive than for those in Dublin.

It has emerged that rents may rise even more dramatically for some tenants next year, since a €60 a week cap which was in place when this year’s rents were being calculated, will not be in place for 2027.

Causing greatest anger to councillors was the fact that in Westmeath, carers allowance is not disregarded in the means testing in the formula that is used to determine local authority tenant rents.

Cllr Jones called for the carers allowance to be disregarded, and backing the call, Cllr Ken Glynn said this was a measure for which both he and Cllr Paul Hogan had pushed heavily - but unsuccessfully - at budget time.

“I just think we need to take stock and understand that there are a lot of people in our properties who are low- to middle-income earners -in some cases, very low-income earners -and some of the increases have frightened people in a way,” Cllr Glynn said, expressing concern that if the increases keep happening, people would be priced out of their homes.

Cllr Paul Hogan recalled being told at budget time that “the regulations are the regulations”, and if the council was to have a disregard, the regulations would have to change.

“That, in fact, was not the case,” he said, citing the Meath County Council decision to disregard the carers allowance in terms of their differential rent scheme.

Cllr Hogan stated that his calculations showed that a single parent with two children on an income of €500 per week in Westmeath was paying €10 per week more than a Dublin City Council tenant in a similar situation; while on an income of €700 a week, the difference was €18 per week – which amounts to €936 per year.

Support came from Cllr Alfie Devine: “Like other members here, I've had umpteen phone calls over the last couple of weeks, because people have got rent rises of up to 50-odd euros, pushing them into the over €800 euros a month bracket.

“It's an awful lot of money for people who are low income, and one or two have actually said to me that they're going to have to give up their house, because that extra 50 quid was putting food on the table, and that food on the table is now gone. They can't afford that food on the table now, because that 50 quid is used to pay rent, and in one or two of the cases.”

Cllr Vinny McCormack also said he was inundated with calls over the hikes and Cllr Johnnie Penrose described it as “a scandal” that the carers’ allowance forms part of the income when means testing is done, while Cllr Denis Leonard said he understood that carers are saving the state €2bn a year. “This is something we should not countenance, and we should make our objection to it heard in every way we can,” he said.

Responding, CEO Barry Kehoe said each year the council assess people's income, and based on their income, the council disregards the first €75 of income – or €115 if it’s a couple – and the rent is calculated then at 22 per cent of the remaining income.

He confirmed that the carers’ allowance is considered as household income, but said this could be discussed over the course of the year.

Director of housing, Jackie Finney, said where councillors had concerns over rents, they could email housingrents@westmeathcoco.ie. She said housing staff are engaging with members and with individuals querying the rent hike demands.

Ms Finney confirmed to Cllr Penrose that there had been a rent increase cap for 2026 of €60 per week – but said from next year, there will be no cap on the increase, although there is a maximum rent figure. Cllr Jones asked if this meant a local authority tenant could face a rent increase next year of €200 per week if their income has increased.

Responding, Mr Kehoe stated that the council does not “increase” the rent, but “adjusts” it based on income – either up or down.

Mr Kehoe undertook to discuss the operation of the scheme in its entirety with members.