LAST UPDATE | 3 Apr 2023
THERE WERE MORE than 4,300 notices to quit served to tenants in the last three months of 2022, new figures from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) have shown.
According to the RTB, there were 4,329 notices to quit issued in October, November and December 2022.
In total, more than half of these notices to quit (2,514) were served as the landlord intended to sell the rental property.
There were 709 notices to quit issued as either the landlord or their family member intended to move into the rental property, while 697 were issued due to tenants breaching their obligations.
Almost half of all notices to quit were issued in Dublin, with a total of 1,871 being issued in the capital. Cork had the second highest number of notices to quit, with 475 being issued in the last three months of 2022.
A landlord is required to give a notice period to the RTB and to their tenant when they want to end a tenancy, ranging from 90 days if the tenant has lived there for less than six months, to 32 weeks if the tenant has lived there for 8 years.
It is a slight drop compared to the third quarter of 2022, where there were 4,741 Notices To Quit served by landlords.
Overall in 2022, there were 11,863 notices to quit issued, with most of these being issued in the last six months of the year.
The RTB says that the number of notices to quit are not directly correlated to one landlord/tenant/tenancy. This means that one notice to quit could be received that relates to either multiple tenants, or multiple notices to quit could be served to each tenant.
There has been a significant political backlash following the publication of the RTB figures, with opposition politicians and homelessness NGOs calling for action.
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin called for the Government to immediately reinstate the eviction ban following the spike in notices to quit.
“This is huge number of eviction notices. While a small number of people will secure alternative private rental accommodation, most will not,” Ó Broin said.
“The result will be an increase in hidden homelessness as people move in with family and friends and an increase in the number of single people and families in emergency accommodation.”
He said that local authorities around the country are currently “at breaking point” and that emergency accomodation cannot cope with more homelessness presentations.
“The Government’s decision to end the ban on no fault evictions was wrong. It must be immediately reinstated.”
Labour leader Ivana Bacik has criticised the Government, saying that there is no contingency plan for renters at risk of eviction.
“By lifting the eviction ban, the government has effectively said to renters: shut up and put up. There is no clear contingency plan in place for the thousands of renters now at risk of eviction,” Bacik said.
“NGOs, stakeholders, charities and Opposition politicians are unable to answer questions due to the complex and cumbersome process in place. Why was a ‘one stop shop’ to triage queries not put in place during the duration of the eviction ban?”
Wayne Stanley, the Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said that the figures from the RTB were “very concerning”, particularly flagging the high number of landlords selling up.
“Of particular concern is the high number of landlords reporting that they are selling up, with those homes most likely leaving the private rental system,” Stanley said.
He added that a recent Simon Community report showed there were already “very few options for individuals and families to find a new home”, particularly for people on low or modest incomes.
According to housing charity Threshold, today’s figures “cement the increased challenges faced by renters in Ireland”.
The organisation’s CEO John-Mark McCafferty called for local authorities to increase their housing fleet by purchasing properties as they enter the market.
He said: “ In Q4 2022, 58% of notices of termination received by tenants were issued as the landlord intends to sell the rental property.
“This is a reported 2,513 homes suitable for long-term housing vacating the private rental market, stretching already limited rental supply even further.
It is critical that local authorities act in a proactive manner to purchase and retain these properties for the rental market, which could save at least some households from entering homelessness.”
Meanwhile, the Irish Property Owners’ Association (IPOA) have blamed “excessive regulatory and financial burdens” on why private landlords are deciding to sell up.
“It is clear that a combination of excessive regulatory and financial burdens is creating an environment in which many private landlords have no option but to sell their properties,” a spokesperson for IPOA said.
“Inflationary pressures, interest rate rises, increasing tax burdens and misguided policies mean there is little incentive to stay in the market.
“For many private landlords, continuing to rent their property is no longer viable.”
The eviction ban ceased on Saturday following a Cabinet decision, despite outcry from opposition parties and housing organisations.
There have been major fears that ending the ban will lead to a spike in homelessness figures, with Government ministers previously admitting that it may lead to an increase in the short term.
Following the ending of the ban, notices to quit which were served in October, November and December will begin taking effect over the coming months.
According to the RTB, 2,630 of the notices to quit that were served in Q4 2022 will take effect between April, May and June. This is 60.8% of the total notices to quit served in the last three months of 2022.
Additional reporting by Eoghan Dalton and Sarah McGuinness.
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