Sheehan slams Government rental chaos
Sheehan slams Government rental chaos - The Labour Party
- Evictions up 35 per cent
Labour’s housing Spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has expressed deep concern following the latest publication of figures from the Residential Tenancies Board showing a 35 per cent increase in termination notices issued by landlords to tenants in the third quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2024. The figures come ahead of new rental rules due to come into force in March next year. Deputy Sheehan said the data shows smaller private landlords are leaving the market.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“The RTB figures confirm what renters have been living through for months. A 35 per cent jump in termination notices in just one year is not a coincidence. It is the direct result of a Government that has changed the rules without any proper impact analysis. Small landlords are voting with their feet and tenants are being pushed out into a rental market that is already stretched to breaking point. This is not an unintended consequence. It is the predictable outcome of policy chaos led by a Minister who does not understand the sector he is reforming.
“Government has created the worst of all worlds. The Minister promised stability but has delivered uncertainty. Instead of assessing the implications of these rental changes and consulting meaningfully with stakeholders, he has forced through a half baked regime that has triggered a run on the market. The new rules are confusing and unenforceable in practice. They have created fear among small landlords who now see the safest option as exiting altogether.
“Only one thing is certain as we look ahead to 2026. Rents will rise again and so will terminations. This Government has never understood the reality of the private rental market. The RTB data shows smaller landlords are exiting now, months before the new rules even take effect. That is the clearest sign of panic and uncertainty imaginable. The Minister’s approach is not protecting tenants. It is accelerating a crisis. The changes were announced without clarity and without legal certainty. They will leave more renters exposed to eviction, not fewer.
“It is clear from the housing committee a number a weeks ago that Government are fumbling around in the dark here and that a bleak situation for renters will only get worse. It’s time for a freeze on rent and a proper radical social and affordable housing build program.
“We need a reset. We need real protections for renters that actually keep people in their homes. We need a Government willing to face up to the consequences of its actions. Renters deserve stable leases, predictable rents and clear procedures that can be enforced. They deserve a system that treats housing as a social necessity, not a gamble. I am calling on the Minister to pause these reforms and conduct a proper analysis of their impacts. The time for action is now.”