Clare has recorded the third highest increase in average weekly rent from a private landlord in the country.
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that rents have increased in the county by almost 50% since the last census in 2016.
The average weekly rent for dwellings rented from a private landlord in Clare has increased by over 47% which is only below Longford’s figure of 51% and Louth’s 47%.
Renters in the county now pay an average of €188 a week to private landlords.
In addition, there are 125 private households with weekly rents of €400 or more while there are only 25 households with weekly rent of €25 or less.
Clare has had a 7% reduction in the number of properties owned with a mortgage or loan but also has a 12% increase in properties owned without a mortgage or loan.
Nationally, there were over 52,000 households paying a weekly rent of €400 or more to private landlords compared with just 13,232 households in 2016.
While the majority of people owned their own home by the age of 27 20 years ago, the average age for changing from renting to homeownership is now 36.
