New research highlights vulnerabilities of rental sector

Report highlights a need to remove 'no-fault' eviction from the Residential Tenancies Act, meaning a landlord would only be able to evict where a tenant has breached their rental agreement. Picture: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

A right to housing must be included in the Irish Constitution while supports must be developed for renters in arrears, according to a new report being launched on Thursday.

The Renting and Risk report from national housing charity Threshold and the Citizen’s Information Board includes research showing fear of termination is the biggest issue facing private renters.

The report emphasised a referendum must take place if needed to insert a right to housing in the Constitution.

Under the Government’s Housing for All agenda, the holding of a referendum on housing is planned.

The report also highlights a need to remove “no-fault” eviction from the Residential Tenancies Act, meaning a landlord would only be able to evict where a tenant has breached their rental agreement.

Expansion of rent pressure zones

The organisations want rent pressure zones to be expanded across the country to make rental accommodation more affordable.

The report noted a fifth of Irish households are now in rented accommodation, compared to one in 10 in the 1990s, with people now living in the sector for longer.

The research is taken from 90,000 queries handled over a two-year period by Threshold and the Citizen’s Information Board.

It found renters with children, those in receipt of a social welfare payment, or a housing support, are more likely to face landlord-led terminations and invalid notices of termination, leading to a threat of homelessness.

It also noted fear of tenancy termination ranked highly for those with a disability, as they face additional challenges of sourcing accessible accommodation.

Lack of security

Ann-Marie O’Reilly, policy officer with Threshold, said there was a lack of security among renters which “was most strongly evident in the exposure experienced by private renters when their landlord decided to sell the home, or to take it back for their own use, or when a private renter feels they must accept an invalid rent increase”. 

She added: “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.” 

“With the current housing market characterised by under-supply and declining affordability, this research explores the circumstances of renters seeking advice in a continuing and deepening crisis in the private rental sector.” 

Ms O’Reilly said there were ongoing shortcomings in support mechanisms for people in need of social housing.

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She said it was critical that recommendations in the report were implemented sooner rather than later.