Housing corporation tenants living in rent controlled properties will not face rent rises of more than inflation for the next three years, corporation lobby group Aedes and tenants’ umbrella organisation Woonbond have agreed.

The measure, which still has to be approved by Aedes and Woonbond members, means that social housing rents will rise more slowly than in recent years, when the permitted increase was inflation plus 1%.

The agreement also states that tenants who pay a lot of rent when compared to their income will not face an increase at all. In addition, people whose rent rises above the social housing threshold – €710 a month – will get a rent cut if their earnings drop.

The new limit on rent rises does not apply to people live in rent-controlled property belonging to private landlords.