AAA-PBP launch Anti-Evictions Bill

national | housing | press release Sunday January 15, 2017 22:39 by pbp

Press Release - 12th Jan 2017

The Bill seeks to to amend the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to provide for greater security of tenure by making all tenancies over two months Part 4 tenancies, by making Part 4 tenancies of indefinite duration, removing sale of property as a ground for terminating a tenancy, providing for compensation where a tenancy is terminated on the ground that the dwelling is required by the landlord or a relative of the landlord for their own occupation, extension of notice periods for new rents and for the termination of tenancies, and inclusion of receivers and lenders that have taken possession of properties in the definition of a landlord.

Speaking at the press conference, Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before Profit TD for Dun Laoghaire said: “Tenants have virtually no rights in this country. This is because successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fail governments have represented landlords, are significantly made up of landlords and have promoted the interests of landlords at the expense of tenants.
“Now, even in the face of the worst housing and homelessness crisis in the history of the state which is being significantly worsened by economic evictions caused by greedy landlords and vulture funds, the government are still dancing to the tune of landlords and failing to properly protect tenants and prevent evictions.
“This bill is a serious attempt to get real rights for tenants and to prevent the scourge of evictions which is making the lives of so many in this country unbearable.
“If Simon Coveney is serious about dealing with the current crisis and protecting tenants he will let this bill pass.
“If he doesn’t it is going to take people power and a real fight by tenants and people who are concerned with the housing crisis to enable these kind of rights.”