5,000 eviction notices handed out in first three months of year
Calls to reinstate ban immediately
NEARLY 5,000 renters received notice that their lease was being terminated in the first three months of this year, figures show.
This is despite a ban on evictions being in place until March 31.
Sinn Fein is now calling for an immediate reintroduction of the ban to stem the flow of evictions.
Figures published by the Residential Tenancies Board show that 4,753 notices of termination were issued in the first quarter of 2023.
This is in addition to 4,329 notices issued in the final quarter of 2022 and 4,741 issued in quarter three.
In the first three months of 2023, 2,631 tenants who received notices of termination were informed their landlord intended to sell the property.
Some 861 notices said the landlord’s family intended to move into the home.
Of the total notices received, 2,011 were issued to tenancies in Dublin. Just under half of these landlords (1,028) said that they intended to sell the property.
The latest notice to quit figures come just days after homelessness figures broke records, with 12,259 people in emergency accommodation in April.
Sinn Fein’s Eoin O Broin, right, called the figures “alarming” as he called for the eviction ban to be reintroduced.
He said: “With the number of eviction notices being issued at such a high rate, there is little doubt that without an emergency intervention by Government, the numbers in emergency accommodation will continue to rise.
“Government must immediately reintroduce the ban on no fault evictions and an emergency package of measures to address the escalating homeless crisis.”
Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy Mike Allen, meanwhile, said “it is highly worrying to see this continued rise of intended evictions at any time, but especially now as the latest figures issued on Friday show a record total of over 12,000 people homeless”.
Housing also dominated the Dail yesterday, as Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou Mcdonald warned that the housing crisis has not peaked.
“The Government decided to end the eviction ban without a safety net in place to protect renters,” she said.
“You were warned time and again this was a bad decision. But you went ahead with it. You rejected Sinn Fein’s plan to extend the eviction ban and to put in place protections for renters.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted the coalition was working “tomorrow, yesterday and every day” to provide more affordable and social
homes.