18 September 2017
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Cork North Central Solidarity TD Mick Barry said this morning that there needs to be a total ban on evictions on economic grounds.
His comments came in the wake of weekend reports that the number of tenant-landlord disputes this year has already exceeded the total for the whole of 2016.
File photo of Mick Barry TD
There were 4,837 applications to the ‘Residential Tenancies Board’ (previously referred to as the PRTB) last year to resolve disputes but that has increased to 5,229 applications in the first six months of this year alone.
Around one quarter of the disputes centre on complaints by tenants that they have received invalid notices of termination from their landlords.
Tenants groups have complained that landlords are trying to get around Government rent caps by evicting their tenants on spurious grounds and then re-letting the properties at much higher prices.
Landlords are allowed to ask tenants on long-term leases to leave if they want to sell their house, carry out substantial renovations or move in a family member.
Deputy Barry said this morning: “The Dail reconvenes this week and Solidarity/PBP will propose a bill on the first day back which would put the right to housing into the Constitution. There should be a total ban on economic evictions. In the middle of a housing and homelessness crisis, there can be no argument against a commonsense measure such as this.”
