Warning of 'tsunami' of notices to quit coming down the track in Mayo

NEW rules around renting homes are proving counterproductive, with tenants being evicted as landlords sell up and exit the market.

Louisburgh-based Councillor Chris Maxwell says a number of families have contacted him after being told to leave their rented properties, ringing to see if there are other places available.

Rolling six-year tenancies are being proposed from March 2026 for new tenancies, and there's a 2% cap on rent rises each year.

Councillor Maxwell warned the council is going to have more people being added to its housing list when it can't deal with what they have.

If the intention was to free up housing so people could afford to buy, that wasn't going to happen.

Housing prices are beyond the reach of ordinary working people, and vulture funds and wealthy people will buy them and keep our young families out, renting them out at high rents.“Our young people are going to be left out again,” said Councillor Maxwell.

These laws need to be looked at again and he urged the government parties to reconsider.

Councillor Harry Barrett predicted a 'tsunami' of notices to quit coming down the track.

Residential tenancies board figures show 80 notices to quit were issues in Q3 of 2023, with 84 in the same quarter in '24.

That figure has risen to 126 in Q3 of this year.

And Councillor Barrett predicted: “It will explode again because of these new rules.”

Mayo County Council saw 12 new homeless presentations in November, with 167 adults and 58 children in private emergency accommodation.

* Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme