Church commission calls for solidarity in rent reforms

The Church's Justice and Peace Commission has appealed for solidarity to be shown to people who genuinely need help vis-à-vis the proposed reform of the rent laws, at the same time acknowledging the injustice that property owners have suffered for the past 60 years.

In its reaction to the White Paper on rent reform, the commission said it believes that a fair rent should be established, reflecting an adequate percentage of the market value of the property in question and such a rent should be subsidised in certain social cases.

The main recommendations of the commission include the introduction of fiscal and monetary incentives for vacant residencies to be placed on the market; the extension of the causa mortis inheritance to include elderly brothers and sisters, disabled and seriously-ill people and single parents; the right of tenants to purchase (first right of refusal) their residence at market prices where there is no right of succession; and the reduction of the proposed income threshold of €25,000 to €17,500 and the economic wealth threshold of €125,000 to €87,500 for tenants to inherit the right to a subsidised rent.

Another proposal is the establishment of a commercial rent figure based on the market value of the property and not on the turnover of the business.