Fianna Fáil announced yesterday that will back a Sinn Féin bill calling for an immediate rent freeze for a period of three years. 

The bill now has the support of a majority of TDs, despite the opposition of the Fine Gael government. 

But is a three year rent freeze a good idea to help renters, or will interfering with the rental market have unintended negative consequences? 

Conor Skehan is Former chair of the housing agency and Lecturer in Planning at Technical University Dublin.