The Labour Party is set to introduce new legislation today that would impose a three-year ban on no-fault evictions, in response to what it describes as a worsening housing and homelessness crisis.
A no-fault eviction occurs when a landlord terminates a tenancy even though the tenant has not breached any terms of the lease. The proposed Bill aims to prevent such evictions for a period of three years, offering what Labour says would be immediate protection and greater stability for renters.
Labour’s housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan has argued that the current situation in the rental market requires urgent and decisive intervention from government. He pointed to rising homelessness figures and an increase in eviction notices as evidence of a system under severe strain.
According to the most recent data, a record 17,517 people are currently living in emergency accommodation, including 5,571 children. Sheehan also referenced statistics from the Residential Tenancies Board, which show a 41% rise in termination notices at the end of last year, ahead of broader changes to rental regulations.
He said these figures reflect a rental sector that is increasingly failing tenants, leaving many vulnerable to sudden displacement. He described the proposed legislation as a necessary step to address what he called “relentless churn” in the housing system, which is pushing people into homelessness despite no wrongdoing on their part.
Sheehan urged all TDs to support the Bill, stating that renters deserve long-term security in their homes rather than the constant threat of eviction. He argued that the housing situation has become increasingly unsustainable, with rents doubling over the past decade and rising sharply since the pandemic, while wages have not kept pace.
He also said the Bill would mirror emergency protections introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, suggesting that the current housing crisis is equally severe and warrants similar action. In his view, continued inaction is unacceptable given the scale of the problem facing renters across the country.
“The time for talking is over,” Sheehan said, adding that Ireland can no longer tolerate a system in which people are only ever one notice away from losing their homes. He said the goal of the legislation is to make evictions an exception rather than a routine feature of the housing system, and to restore stability for tenants facing ongoing uncertainty.
