Tenants prey to landlords, says housing body

TENANTS in private rented accommodation are enduring a barrage of illegal eviction attempts, substandard conditions and unaffordable rents, the national housing organisation, Threshold, has warned.

In its annual report to be launched today, the organisation says it received over 250 calls from tenants facing illegal eviction by bullying landlords last year.

It was contacted by 18,000 people including parents of 8,000 children in relation to a wide range of breaches of the law and health and safety standards.

The most common concerns were rents increasing out of control, the condition of dwellings falling below legal minimum standards and forced frequent moving from home to home because of insecurity of tenure.

Over 5,000 calls related to notices to quit but other complaints included problems with rent books and discrimination by landlords when seeking accommodation.

The organisation also received 113 calls from people whose accommodation was infested by rats or other vermin.

The majority of callers were on incomes of less than 15,000 per year.

Almost one in 10 described themselves as being from an ethnic minority and almost 400 were over the age of 65.

Threshold argues that the failure of the Government to make adequate financial provision for social housing is adding to the difficulties suffered by tenants in the private sector.

It says close to 50,000 households are now on local authority housing lists, many of whom have been waiting for years.

At the current rate of house building, it says the backlog will take 30 years to clear.

In the meantime, it says low-income, vulnerable and marginalised households will continue to be forced into over-priced, low-standard and insecure private sector accommodation.

Threshold is worried that funding for social housing will be capped or even cut in next week’s Budget.

It is arguing against any such move and also against plans to reduce the level of rent allowance.

Threshold is a not-for-profit organisation which campaigns for the right to good quality affordable housing, private and public.

Minster for Housing, Noel Ahern, will attend the launch of the report in Dublin today.