New tenant regulations adding to homelessness crisis in Mayo

SMALL landlords are leaving the rental market due to new rules around tenancies, adding to the homelessness crisis.

They include rolling six-year terms, and councillors in Mayo are concerned, with people being asked to quit their homes ahead of their implementation in March.

Independent Ireland's Councillor Chris Maxwell appealed to the Housing Minister to reverse his decision, and he was not alone in voicing concern at the local authority's monthly meeting.

Councillor Michael Burke, an auctioneer in Ballinrobe, described the new legislation around the rental market as having a negative impact, driving out the small operator.

Under the regulations, if you had a bad tenant you were stuck with them for a long time, he said. And he knew of someone in this situation recently and it cost them €20,000 to have a person removed. And who wants that?

Councillor Burke said he has probably 15 people who are going to be put out of their houses over the next few weeks, and if action isn't taken the rental market in small towns will collapse.

Councillor Gerry Coyle said he has never had so many calls for people having to be out of their place by the end of February.

Dozens of people in the west Mayo area have also been told to leave properties, Councillor Maxwell said. The regulations need to change immediately, he said. There's only a month but it can be done politically.

The Taoiseach had to capitulate to the backbenchers of Fiana Fáil and Fine Gael and Independents on Mercosur, he said.

“We are talking about people going homeless on account of these rules,” he said. And every councillor should get on to their TDs to get government to change the rules.

“It was done last week and it can be done again in the space of a couple of days.”

* Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme