Labour Party Councillor Thomas Phelan says that the time has come for Dungarvan to be declared a rent pressure zone.
It comes as no rental properties within 12km of the West Waterford town were listed on Daft.ie this morning.
In contrast, 18 Air B & Bs were available within 3km of the town centre.
Speaking to WLR News, Cllr. Phelan says the time has come for the area to be a rent pressure zone.
He says that with the town not being a rent pressure zone, Air B & Bs have been allowed to saturate the market.
"Normally. if you're renting it out for more than 90 days - you have to get planning permission. Those laws don't apply outside of rent pressure zones - and of course with Dungarvan not being a rent pressure zone, it doesn't apply here. It's a bit of a catch-22 situation, that we are in at the moment. I think we do need to be made a rent pressure zone for many reasons."
Cllr. Phelan says it's important that a more broader sense of the rental crisis facing West Waterford is gathered - as what we are hearing and seeing is not always entirely reflective of the everyday realities of the situation.
"One of the reasons why we need to be made a rent pressure zone is that it would give us some sense - and allow us to get a handle on what is the real underlying demand for rental accommodation in the town and surrounding areas. I don't think we necessarily know - people are couch surfing and staying with families. How many people actually need to be housed? Whether it be privately, or by the Council."
The Labour Party representative also conceded that government intervention regarding shortages in the private rental market are only being addressed as of late - and he says that some of the rental accommodation that comes on stream locally, may as well not for many.
"There certainly is a shortage of accommodation in the private market - which has been left for too long really. It's only belatedly that it's been realised that we need government intervention on such a serious social issue. The few houses that are available then, the prices of those are obviously beyond the reach of so many people. They're exclusively available to the very few people that can afford them. They may not as well be there at all for the vast majority of people."
