Temporary ban on evictions debated
IPAV warns such a ban would exacerbate the flow of private landlords from the market, putting further pressure on available rental properties and rents.
The Government is being urged not to introduce a temporary ban on evictions. The Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers (IPAV) is warning that such a ban would exacerbate the flow of private landlords from the market, putting further pressure on available rental properties and rents.
The call comes as Government are expected to move to introduce the ban from December to the end of March.
IPAV is blaming "a myriad of constantly changing regulations, along with unfair tax treatment by comparison with institutional landlords" as being primarily responsible for landlords leaving the market.
Residential Tenancies Board data shows the number of termination notices received by the organisation in the first half of this year rose by 58% compared with the latter half of 2021.
Pat Davitt, IPAV chief executive, participated on Monday afternoon in a stakeholders' meeting on the issue with Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien TD.
Mr Davitt contended: “An eviction ban would be the wrong answer to a very difficult problem. Further regulation would serve to exacerbate the current situation and it would detract attention from the urgent need to improve the supply of properties.”
He says that, if the Government insists upon a temporary eviction ban, it must be balanced with measures to compensate landlords in situations where tenants are not paying rent.
Research undertaken in recent months by IPAV and the Irish Property Owners’ Association (IPOA) among their respective memberships and involving 892 respondents found that:
Over 50 per cent said rental properties are their sole pension source, apart from the State pension;
94% believe that recent Government policy and changes in regulations have impacted negatively on their attitude to continuing as a landlord;
Over 57% plan to sell their rented properties in Rental Pressure Zones;
91 per cent believe they or their landlord clients will not invest further in residential investment property.
IPAV's call follows research published last week by Threshold, the national housing charity, and the Citizen's Information Board. It found that tenancy termination is the most prevalent issue facing private renters, with vulnerable clients on fixed incomes most likely to be adversely impacted.
The issue of rent increases also ranked highly for renters, especially those in receipt of housing support, with children or with a fixed income.
The research found these issues are experienced by renters regardless of age or background.
The findings are based on 90,000 queries Threshold received from renters over a two-year period.
The charity says it shows the private rental sector is putting an increasing number of tenants in a vulnerable position.
The report makes key recommendations aimed at improving security for private sector renters - including a constitutional right to housing, expanding Rent Pressure Zones nationally and the removal of 'no-fault' eviction from the Residential Tenancies Acts.
One-in-five households now live in rented accommodation compared to one-in-10 in the 1990s. The age profile of those living in private rented accommodation is also changing, with people now living in the sector for longer.
Ann-Marie O’Reilly, policy officer with Threshold, said that the data in this report is indicative of the extent to which the private rental sector now operates and renders an increasing number of tenants vulnerable.
“Rental prices have increased nationally by almost 80% in the past 10 years. This growth has been driven predominantly by the Dublin market where growth of 90% has been recorded over the period. The research finds the lack of security of tenure is foremost in the findings, together with the problem of how this lack of security impacts on the agency of the tenant in the tenant landlord relationship – that is the lack of control and a negotiating imbalance for tenants.”