Election 2024: Renting — 'We see parents with children living in the grandparents’ homes'

It's hard enough to find a place to live or afford the rent — but renters are also living in fear of eviction, says Threshold CEO

Threshold chief executive John-Mark McCafferty said: 'We know that the best way to keep people from losing their homes is to support renters.'

Renters are living in fear of a ‘notice of termination’ and the next government needs to tackle tenancy rights as a priority, the chief executive of the housing charity Threshold has said.

There are around 330,000 renters in Ireland, with many tenants living with a lack of security of the future of their homes.

Threshold chief executive John-Mark McCafferty said: “We know that the best way to keep people from losing their homes is to support renters.

“We work tirelessly, resolving tenancy problems, to keep people in their homes and out of homelessness.

“Lack of supply in the market, and the lack of affordable homes for middle and low income earners are the main issues. These things are getting worse while the level of demand in the private rental sector continues to grow.

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“We have adult children in their parents’ homes, even parents with children living in the grandparents’ homes.

“Small landlords are selling up. A tenant can lose their rented home when they receive a notice of termination based on intention to sell.”

Mr McCafferty said Threshold praised the tenant-in-situ scheme which allows local authorities to buy properties where tenants are facing eviction when the landlord is selling but said many problems persist in the sector.

Similarly, cost-rental schemes, created under the Affordable Housing Act 2021, offer a longer term, secure option, with rents based on the cost of building, managing, and maintaining the homes.

“They are a welcome development but we need more supply of homes,” he said.

Threshold’s latest annual report highlighted how the new government needs to develop a strategy for the private rental sector.

It showed almost 4,000 households that sought assistance from Threshold last year were prevented from entering homeless services.

John Mark McCafferty, CEO of Threshold, wants to see a Deposit Protection Scheme for renters.

Threshold calls for dedicated private rental strategy

For the new government, Threshold is calling for a dedicated private rental strategy, including a Deposit Protection Scheme and Rent Register.

“It is essential that commitment is given by a new government and all future governments to increase social and cost rental to 20% of all housing stock,” he added.

“While it is not the only issue facing the sector, if you do address supply that does help with other things.

“With the deposit protection scheme we would hope the deposit could go to another account held by a third party where it can be retrieved.

“Most landlords are small, and it goes into their pocket and there was legislation in 2015 around this that wasn’t commenced so we need to redraft that.

“We need a rent register. We have a register that reveals the cost associated with selling houses, but we don’t have one which relates to rents.

“We are being told that it is a data protection issue, but I can’t see how, when there is no data protection issues for a house purchase.

In terms of rental accommodation, people are spending more of their lives in the private rental area, having families, ageing, and these are people who have a wide range of incomes.

“The idea that rented properties are a place where students live for four years is over.

“We need to get serious about the rental sector.

“People are losing their homes. Families are losing their homes because of a notice of termination, and we are trying to save those homes. Sometimes the notice isn’t compliant and they have to go and do it again.

“We can try and halt a notice period if it is done incorrectly.

“We make sure people have access to their notice period if they are going to lose their tenancy. They often have more time than they think to try and find alternative accommodation and because of the lack of supply, they do need more time”.

But most of all, Mr McCafferty said, renters live in fear of tenancy termination and “it’s having a chilling effect”.

“We are trying to offer advice and protective services and to assist people. That is what we can do, but this needs proper intervention by our new government.”

Election in focus: Homelessness