Labour introduces bill seeking to reinstate ban on no-fault evictions

Legislation was introduced in 2022 as a temporary measure to provide relief for renters and homeless services over the winter months. Around 2,700 notices to quit were paused before the ban lapsed in March 2023. File photo: iStock

A newly published bill would reinstate a ban on no-fault evictions, with the Labour Party saying it said would create "breathing room" in the housing sector.

The party's housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan launched the bill on Thursday, saying he was "putting it up to the Government".

Legislation was introduced in 2022 as a temporary measure to provide relief for renters and homeless services over the winter months. Around 2,700 notices to quit were paused before the ban lapsed in March 2023.

Mr Sheehan's legislation would introduce a three-year eviction ban to tackle what he called "the enormous rise in notices to quit issued in 2025".

“All the trends are going in the wrong direction under [housing minister James] Browne, with record levels of homelessness and evictions. Homelessness is continuing to rise and now renters are facing an even greater minefield when it comes to their real rights under the new rental legislation.

“An eviction ban alone is not a silver bullet, there can be no doubt about that, but it is part of an armoury of emergency measures to take on the housing crisis.

“The Rental Tenancies Board reported last month that 5,200 eviction notices were issued in quarter 4, 2025. That is absolutely terrifying. Renters need real emergency protections."

Last week, it was revealed that the number of people in emergency accommodation had hit another new record at 17,308.

Figures from the Department of Housing showed that 11,851 adults and 5,457 children were homeless last month, up from 17,112 in January. In all, 2,609 families are included in the figures.

January was the first time the number of people in emergency accommodation surpassed 17,000, which housing charities called “disgraceful” and a “social injustice milestone”.

Backyard cabins

Mr Sheehan criticised suggestions that exempted developments such as backyard cabins be rented out outside the rent-a-room scheme, saying such a move would "open the floodgates to rack and stack substandard accommodation".

Mr Sheehan said while there should be "more flexibility around exempted developments", landlords should not be allowed to "rent out garden sheds".

It was reported last weekend that the Government was progressing plans to allow householders to rent out the back garden structures under the scheme, which allows people to earn €14,000 a year tax-free.

However, it is believed that some in Fianna Fáil questioned whether the structures could be rented without being included in the scheme that would place an effective €14,000-a-year cap on rent.

The plans had been scheduled for Wednesday's Cabinet meeting but were pulled following what sources described as “back and forth” between the Coalition parties.

• Paul Hosford is acting political editor