Pensioners in their 70s, Kathleen and Philip, hoped to peacefully live out the rest of their days in the home they had been privately renting for six years. Liked in the community, and close to shops, a GP and a pharmacy, all was well forthe married couple until theirlandlord decided to evict them and they came close to loosing their home. Not once, but twice, with the stress contributing to Kathleen suffering a stroke.
Since her husband, Philip, had dementia, Kathleen was the main point of contact for the couple’s landlord. Every two years, the tenants agreeably accepted rent increases of €100, but then the landlord wanted to evict them so that they could increase the rent by €700. This marked the beginning of a very frightening time for Kathleen, which she managed alone as she didn’t want it to impact her partner’s health.
As Kathleen and her husband were both pensioners in their late seventies, this substantial rent increase was simply not affordable, they thought they would have to leave their home. A friend, who had accessed Threshold’s services before, recommended that she get in touch for help. That was when she met Freya, a Threshold advisor, who was able to tell Kathleen that the Notice of Termination (NoT) from the landlord did not appear compliant with the legislation. With this information on her rights, Kathleen challenged the NoT with the landlord who opted to not issue a new notice. This meant that Kathleen and Philip were able to stay in their home.
But just a few months later, the same thing happened again. This time the landlord demanded a €900 rent increase. Facing homelessness once more, Kathleen contacted Threshold. With empathy and support, Freya went through everything with the pensioner and reviewed the rent increase, which also appeared to be in breach of rent regulations.
Supported by Threshold, Kathleen tried everything she could to stay in her home with her ailing husband. She tried negotiating with the landlord directly, applied forthe Housing Assistance Payment, and looked for alternative accommodation but nothingwas available. She then turned to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
Throughout this, Kathleen was hoping that the Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) rules would be extended to include her home. Two months before her hearing, this happened and Kathleen was so relieved as the regulation means more protection for tenants like her. On the day of her RTB hearing, she attended remotely from one of Threshold’s offices with Joe, another supportive Threshold advisor. The RTB deemed the landlord’s €900 rent increase invalid, and Kathleen was given a more manageable rent increase amount of €75. This was the maximum permitted under RPZ rules.
Her relationship with the landlord has suffered as a result, and the whole ordeal has shredded her sense of security, but Kathleen still smiles when she sees them. The next rent review is in January, and Kathleen does not know if RPZs will be gone by then, which would put her in the same vulnerable position as before.
Kathleen is very sad to see the current level of homelessness in Ireland. By sharing her story, she hopes to highlight the importance of rent regulations to ordinary tenants like her and Joe. Without RPZ rules, she believes she would have been made homeless – something the elderly couple never imagined. Kathleen commended Threshold and the advisors, saying they “really know what they are doing” and that she was “made to feel that you weren’t troubling anybody and that their time was for you.”
Kathleen, Threshold client
