Council hears of 'frightening' rise in evictions

‘People terrified they are going to be homeless’

Legislative changes that came into force on March 1 are forcing smaller landlords out of the market in Westmeath and creating difficulties for tenants, local elected representatives say.

A total of 128 validated Notices to Quit (NTQs) have been recorded in Westmeath, prompting concern among councillors about growing pressure on renters. The figures were outlined by director of services Jackie Finney at the March meeting of the county council, who said 79 of those cases relate specifically to tenants on HAP, RAS and leasing arrangements.

The legislative changes have affected social housing applicants and households facing the end of their tenancies, people whose private tenancies had recently ended, many of whom he referred to the council’s homeless services for assistance.

The new private tenancy laws that came into effect at the start of March introduce six-year ‘Tenancies of Minimum Duration’ aimed at increasing security and restricting no-fault evictions.

Rent increases will be pegged to national CPI inflation with a 2% cap in high inflation. Larger landlords, with four or more rented properties, are facing tighter eviction restrictions.

At the council meeting, the director of services said more detail will be included in future housing reports after councillors requested regular updates.

“The government were forewarned that this would happen,” Cllr Andrew Duncan said. “I made it clear that what they were bringing in would encourage the majority of what was left of what we used to call ‘mom and pop landlords’ to get out of the market.”

Cllr Duncan, an auctioneer, told the Westmeath Examiner he believes the changes have created difficulties: “I don’t think it’s great legislation. I think it might work for Dublin, but it’s not going to be helpful for the rental market in the likes of Mullingar.”

At the meeting, Cllr Mick Dollard described the figures as “frightening”, saying councillors are being inundated with calls from tenants facing eviction.

“People are absolutely terrified they are going to be homeless, particularly women with young kids,” he said, adding that further cases are still awaiting validation.

He said the impact of the legislation is dramatic: “This new legislation has forced a lot of landlords, people with maybe one or two properties, out. They’ve actually decided to sell their properties. This is why in Westmeath there’s 128 validated notices to quit.”

He says a lot of people are affected: “I deal with them every day of the week. If you’re only on the housing list three or four years, and you get a notice to quit from a landlord, you’re going to find yourself homeless unless you overhold.” Overholding in Irish renting occurs when a tenant remains in a property after a valid Notice of Termination has expired. While often a result of housing shortages and fear of homelessness, it is a breach of the tenancy agreement. Landlords have to seek a possession order through the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) rather than force eviction. “There’s a lot of things the government could do,” Cllr Dollard said, “but the most important thing is to build more houses.”

Cllr Dollard also asked for an update on government proposals to allow the erection of modular homes in back gardens as a short-term solution for families in crisis.

In response, Barry Kehoe, chief executive of the council, said proposals to exempt certain modular homes from planning permission are under consideration at national level, but no final decision has yet been made.