Sir, – I refer to your report on the warning from the IMF that the Government's rent controls could actually decrease supply in the rental construction centre ("IMF warns Coalition rent controls could slow housebuilding", Business, November 16th).
Other reports indicate that of the rental properties sold this year, only 18 per cent were sold to purchasers who will continue in the rental market, thus reducing rental supply.
It beggars belief that nobody in Government considered that putting rent controls in place would be a disincentive for investors in a sector where the clear issue is the lack of supply of rental properties.
The Government, by introducing rent controls, is saying to property supply investors that they will have no control over the income streams from their future asset. – Yours, etc,
PERCY BOLAND,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.