- Threshold supported over 9,300 households in the first three months of the year
- Tenancy termination remains one of the top issues for renters
National housing charity Threshold prevented over 850 households from becoming homeless since January, according to figures from the latest Impact Report. This includes 1,164 adults and 891 children that Threshold advisors helped to stay in their homes or supported to find alternative housing.
From January to March, Threshold supported 9,321 households with rental queries. Of the new households that contacted the charity this year, 1,880 were at risk of homelessness. Tenancy termination continued to be the top issue for renters in Q1, accounting for 35% of queries raised.
Speaking on the report, Threshold’s National Advocacy Manager, Ann-Marie O’Reilly said:
“While tenancy terminations continue to cause concern in 2025, it is encouraging to see people reaching out to Threshold for support and guidance around their rights as renters. Our Q1 Impact Report highlights the need for continued work and advocacy to support private renters across Ireland, particularly as many renters will be impacted by potential alterations to Rent Pressure Zones (RPZ), which have helped to curb rent increases.”
Rent Pressure Zones
Rent increases are a concern for private renters, particularly given the possibility of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) being amended or concluded this year. Threshold is advocating that RPZs continue beyond 2025 while an alternative long-term system to rent regulation is established. Threshold advocates that such a long-term system be in the form of reference rents. However, in the interim, there is not yet an adequate level of affordable housing alternatives for renters to justify an end, or changes, to the RPZs.
RPZs offer some stability and security for many renters where rents remain high.
In addition to maintaining the RPZs, Threshold is calling for the establishment of a Rent Price Register, which was included in the recent Programme for Government, to support rent regulation and ensure transparency in rent setting. A Rent Price Register would allow renters to review the rental history of a property and be confident that their rent, and potential increases, are within the lawfully permitted amount – which is currently capped at 2% per annum in the RPZs – while outside RPZs increases are limited to every 24 months and must be in line with market rent”.
Commenting on a possible Rent Price register, O’Reilly said:
“The establishment of the rent register, as committed to in the Programme for Government, is a crucial step in ensuring fairness within the private rental sector.
“By providing clear and accessible information on rental costs, it will serve as a vital tool for tenants, helping to prevent exploitative practices, such as invalid rent increases, and will provide greater clarity for renters struggling in a tight rental market.”
Case Study: Kathleen’s Story
Kathleen received a Notice of Termination (NoT) from her landlord. The landlord said the reason they were evicting Kathleen was because they wanted to increase the rent by €700, meaning Kathleen and her husband would now be required to pay rent of €2,300. Kathleen and her husband are pensioners in their late 70s, which meant that a substantial rent increase was not feasible for them.
Kathleen had always been a model tenant, paying her rent on time and taking great care of the property – to the extent that the estate agents described it as being pristine during the inspections.
Facing potential homelessness, Kathleen called Threshold, who advised her that the NoT appeared to be non-compliant. 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 her husband were able to stay in their home for an extended period.
However, a few months later, she received a Notice of Rent Review, as the landlord wanted to increase the rent by €900 per month. Kathleen tried everything she could to stay in her home, including contacting the landlord multiple times, reaching out to the Local Authority and applying for Housing Assistance Payment. She then tried to find alternative accommodation, but nothing was suitable as her husband has dementia and requires essential services nearby.
Kathleen saw no progress in her attempts and decided to bring a case to the RTB, with the support of her Threshold advisor. Two months before her RTB hearing, RPZs were expanded to include Kathleen’s home, which meant that rent increases would be capped at 2%. The subsequent RTB hearing ruled in Kathleen’s favour, deeming the rent increase to be invalid. A more manageable rent increase of €75 was advised, which was in accordance with RPZ limits.
While Kathleen felt some relief following her RTB hearing, she became anxious about the possible removal of RPZs. She worried that her landlord might try to drastically increase her rent if this happened, putting the older couple in the same position again. Kathleen has said that this worry has been “a nightmare” and that without RPZs and Threshold’s support throughout, she would have been homeless.
Threshold’s service is available by phone, Monday to Friday, 9am-9pm at 1800 454 454, or online at www.threshold.ie/get-help to any private renter in need of advice or support.
