"There's only one way rent prices are going - and that's up."
That's according to Karina Timothy, who is the Western Regional Services Manager with Housing Charity, Threshold.
Speaking on today's Wider View, Karina says local rent figures published in the latest Rent Index Report from the Residential Tenancies Board come as "no surprise" to her.
New rents in Co Cavan were 21% higher in quarter one of this year, compared to the same time last year, something that Karina described as "crazy."
As a result of the surge, she has called for the government to extend legislation in relation to rent pressure zones, with rent prices in rural areas now on-par with cities.
Karina also believes measures such as "tax relief" for smaller private landlords in exchange of offering tenants longer term leases, could help rectify the situation:
