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Minister for Housing James Browne faced questions (Brian Lawless\/PA)<\/p>\nThe Government\u2019s new rental rules are incentivising evictions, the Social Democrats have said.<\/p>\n
Housing Minister James Browne has defended the rental reforms after it was widely reported that 36 households in his home constituency were served with eviction notices on Friday, with the landlord intending to sell.<\/p>\n
The eviction notices at the Hazelwood estate of Bridgetown, Co Wexford, came two days before rental reforms came into effect.<\/p>\n
The new rules allow landlords to reset rents to market rents for new tenancies every six years, and place restrictions on grounds for evictions.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Wednesday, Browne said he did not think the evictions were connected to new rental rules but said it \u201cmust have been absolutely horrifying to receive those notices to quit\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said he immediately had his department \u201creach out to\u201d the Residential Tenancy Board (RTB) to assess the matter.<\/p>\n
Minister for Housing James Browne faced questions (Brian Lawless\/PA)<\/p>\n
Browne said he was limited in what he could say due to an active investigation but added: \u201cI\u2019ve asked the RTB to to assess the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Renters are offered some protection under the \u201cTyrrelstown Amendment\u201d which places restrictions on the ending of more than 10 tenancies in the same development within six months.<\/p>\n
In these cases, the RTB says tenancies can only be ended if the property\u2019s sale price with an existing tenant living in it is more than 20% lower than the market value if sold empty, or preventing the termination of the tenancy would be \u201cunduly onerous\u201d or \u201ccause undue hardship\u201d.<\/p>\n
Browne said his department was \u201cmonitoring\u201d to \u201censure the Tyrrelstown Amendment is fit and effective\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cBut remember, in the new legislation, we have significantly tightened up tenants\u2019 rights, so we\u2019ve moved beyond the Tyrrelstown Amendment in new legislation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve brought in security of tenure for new tenants. We\u2019ve effectively ended all evictions for large landlords for no-fault evictions and, for smaller landowners, really tightened it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne raised concerns (Brian Lawless\/PA)<\/p>\n
Asked to explain why he thought the evictions came right before the rental rule changes, the minister said he could not \u201cstep into the mind of the landlord of what motivated them\u201d but claimed there was nothing in the rental reforms that offered an economic benefit to the decision.<\/p>\n
Social Democrats housing spokesman Rory Hearne said it appeared the minister \u201cdid not understand the reality of the private rental market\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe whole issue of allowing the rent rise to market rent between tenancies \u2013 the landlords have been lobbying for that for years, the investor funds have been lobbying for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd there\u2019s no dressing it up \u2013 this is incentivising more economic evictions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government should intervene to ensure the families do not lose their homes.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the D\u00e1il, she said: \u201cThese families are panicked, stressed and worried about the upheaval in their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a serious lack of homes available to rent in the locality. Even if they could find new places to live, they will face massive rent increases due to your new legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Browne said RTB funding has increased 70% on last year.<\/p>\n
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Sinn F\u00e9in Leader Mary Lou McDonald (Niall Carson\/PA)<\/p>\n
He was speaking at the opening of the first cost-rental and social homes in the Coyne Woods area of the Oscar Traynor Woods project in Dublin 17.<\/p>\n
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