Just five houses to rent in Athlone over three days

The stark choice facing renters in Athlone has been laid bare in the latest housing survey undertaken by homeless charity Simon Communities of Ireland, which found an average of just five properties to rent across Athlone over a three-day period in September.

No 'three-bed or more' properties were available to rent during the study period, and there was only one property available with the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) rates in Athlone for any of the four households types studied.

Athlone experienced a 13.5% decrease in the availability of properties to rent since the last survey was conducted in June of this year.

The 'Locked Out of the Market' quarterly snapshot study undertaken over a three-day period in September also found that the average cost of renting a two-bed property in Athlone stood at between €1,135 and €1,800.

The study, which is the 31st such survey to be undertaken by the Simon Communities, tracks the number of properties advertised to rent within the Department of Housing's HAP limits, and also looks at the overall trends in the housing market at specific locations across the country.

Athlone was one of 16 areas surveyed in the latest quarterly report, which found “a further decrease in the number of properties available to rent” in the private rental market and available through HAP nationwide since June

2023.

The report found there were only 27 properties available within standard or discretionary HAP limits across the country which is “the lowest number recorded “across the 31 Simon Communities’ Locked Out of the Market snapshot studies.

Commenting on the findings of the latest housing report, Wayne Stanley, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland said the lack of affordable rental accommodation is “one of the main drivers of the growing level of homelessness in Ireland.”

He called for “a greater response” from government, including an increase in the HAP rates.

“This is not a long-term, or even a medium-term solution, but it would relieve pressure on those most vulnerable to homelessness,” he added.