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THE OWNER OF Tathony House in Dublin 8 has dropped an appeal against a ruling that deemed the mass eviction of the building’s tenants invalid.
After nearly 100 people living in the building were served eviction notices in October 2022, a months-long campaign began for them to stay in their homes.
They argued that their landlord’s decision violated the Tyrrelstown Amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act of 2016, which prevents property owners from evicting 10 or more units of their property, unless they would be caused “undue hardship” financially by allowing the tenants to stay.
When the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) ruled in July that the eviction was not lawful, the building’s owner, Ronan McDonnell, appealed the decision using the hardship clause.
The tribunal was to take place in three days, but tenants were informed this morning that McDonnell had withdrawn his appeal.
He still has the option to evict the tenants in batches of less than ten households. New eviction notices would have to be issued and the notice periods would restart.
Tenant James O’Toole, who co-led the campaign to stop the evictions, said the residents are “delighted”.
McDonnell has the option to sell Tathony House to Dublin City Council and keep the tenants in situ but, according to tenants, when the council continuously tried to make contact with him, he didn’t respond. Now O’Toole hopes he will reconsider engaging with them.
“Now is the time for him to contact DCC and allow Tathony House to become much needed social housing,” he said.
McDonnell did not respond to a request for comment from The Journal.
O’Toole’s partner, People Before Profit Cllr Madeleine Johansson, said today’s news is “a huge relief”.
Some of those who moved out of the building pending the RTB’s ruling have had to relocate to places like Meath and Dundalk as they were unable to find a home in Dublin.
Remaining tenants include a lone parent and healthcare worker, as well as a man receiving ongoing treatment for cancer nearby.
Another attack on private property rights. THIS is why we have a housing crisis. Sure why would anyone want to become a landlord now. This ruling sets a dangerous precedent and will actually lead to more landlords leaving the market and will put a stop to new landlords entering the market.
@MTB Mayo: invest in the stock market . Put your money in a different market . You would be mad to stay in it with the incoming government
@MTB Mayo: that’s their plan. Get everybody into public housing and then if you don’t support Putín isk politicians you get thrown out of your state housing.
@MTB Mayo: The ‘signs’ have been there since the end of covid. I had two houses rented out in North Cork…..luckily, great Tennants for years & years…..no issues re rent or damage—- earlier this year both Tennants advised they were moving on ( & best of luck to them)……. ” For Sale” signs went up straight away…..both sales closed in September. I’d stay miles clear of the rental market in Ireland…stay well clear…… any landlords that haven’t heeded the signs will only have themselves to blame.
@MTB Mayo: are you advocating that landlords not be held to any standards or rules? He violated multiple conditions, including advising some people of their eviction by text message rather than the legal documentation required. He was offered market value for the property by DCC but not only refused to sell to them but refused to engage with them at all. He used dubious tactics to try and get around the tryellstown agreement until he gave up the other day knowing he couldn’t prove hardship when DCC were offering market value. Decent landlords won’t leave the market because of this because decent landlords would never treat their tenants like he has.
@Peter Laurent: International Equities in case they start nationalising Irish companies. Venezuela, which has “friends” amongst irish politicians nationalised Smurfit’s branch there. Irish media didn’t publicise for whatever reason ?
@MTB Mayo: imagine believing such insanity… Ireland’s rental market is very mildly regulated… Germany has far less housing issues with a market that is infinitely more regulated. In some places they have excess stock.
More regulation, more housing, less problems.
This guy ^^^ wants you to believe that the market must be given free reign… Well it essentially has been, for decsdes. The result? 10k homeless people. Most of whom are Irish.
Maybe stop listening to people when their arguements are based on a profit motive. Crazy right?
Stop believing right wing nonsense. Better systems exist, and produce better results.
@Chris O’Brien: U could not compare Germany with Ireland Most people rent there U have to look after the property if u are a tenent, The house or appartment is painted mostly white when u move in you can paint it whatever colour u want but u must paint it white before u leave plus its inspected before u go with no breakages or damage
@Peter Laurent: a lot of capital is already on the move ahead of a possible IRA government. Anyone with savings would be mad to leave them in an Irish bank.
I’m glad for those tenants but don’t agree the building should become social housing.
@GVR: Sets a bad precedent, refuse to leave and get the council to buy the house for you.
Good luck to them though, good win for them.
@GVR: the alternative was making multiple families homeless. He could have sold the building to a another private landlord and kept his tennents in situ but he refused to do that. So Dublin city council did their job and stepped in to offer to buy it. The alternative was multiple families in emergency accommodation which costs a fortune and eventuality rehomed in council houses anyway.
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: Sure why don’t the council just house everyone?…..why do some people get handed a gaff for a pittance and have it maintained for life and the rest of us in the real world have to do it on our own?
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: That’s the catch 22 situation with social/council housing. Unless the council can deduct the outstanding (low) rent directly at source, there’s zero incentive to pay the rent in the first place, because the council would have to put you in emergency accommodation at a much higher cost. Therefore, it will never happen.
In addition to this is the issue that you can “inherit” the council tenancy.
As far as as know, that’s independent on whatever income you are and if you really need the 3-bedroom house as a single.
@uUleRhCu: anyone under a certain income is entitled to apply for social housing. It’s always been the case and always will. That’s not what this discussion is about. But if you want to do away with social housing feel free to run for office on that platform and see how far you’ll get.
@Wolfgang Bonow: yeah for sure there are issues with the system the ones you mentioned probably being the biggest.
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: nobody is “entitled” to anything. You apply and if you are “eligible” you will be approved and put in the housing list.
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: could he have sold to another landlord ? Don’t think there are many jumping in to buy property for renting as for the Council were they giving the market value? , nothing is clear here If this guy was anxious to sell the property why not sell with tennents in place He must not be getting the market value why would he put himself through a load of crap with the RTB & evicting a lot of people
@Helen McKernan: read what I wrote again. I LITERALLY said the same thing as you. Some people just love to argue.
@Sheila McNulty: yes, the council did offer him market value. I agree, there aren’t many private buyers at that level wanting to buy to let, I was just giving an example. But he was offered market value by the council, that I know for a fact. I am also aware of the income he was making from letting those apartments, that’s public information. Not exactly an amount that would cause “financial hardship”. I’m assuming he had an offer for the building from someone else, maybe more for the site than the building, otherwise he would have engaged with the DCC. It was his choice to get in the mess with the RTB, by issuing illegal evictions. I still don’t think he’ll sell to the council though. If I were to guess I’d say he will reissue evections but do it legally this time.
@Helen McKernan: She said ‘entitled to apply’. Best to actually read comments before replying to them.
What makes it ok to be allowed to comment on this article? Some kind of agenda?
Stephen Donnelly is the best health minister ever, also Darragh O Brien is the best housing minister
@Paul Gorry:
That you Mary Richard Bluebot Mongo McNeill of FG FrapeRoom infamy infamy….they all have itsh in for me!?! €;@)
Build more houses = more homes available
Its not rocket science. 4 thousand children will spent Christmas in a cramped hotel room, not for their first time either.
Half a billion. Half a billion. Not spent by Mr. Housing minister not spent this year on housing.
Disgraceful, absolute disgrace the government are.
Half a billion. How many homes could that provide?
Record numbers of (registered) homeless. The figure is more like double that with people sleeping on couches, floors etc. of friends.
Time for change real change enough is enough.
@Denis Rathsallagh Brady: Don’t think u have the true picture or that its as simple as u say How many places were there where people objected to housing in Dublin Which would have caused terrible delays also places to build & full planning permission It takes a lot of time plus not easy to get builders or any tradespeople don’t imagine a billion was left just sitting in the Bank just to anoy u or me
@Denis Rathsallagh Brady: not the housing minister, the local authorities are the ones that failed to spend the money.
But it’s hard to build houses when you can’t get people to do the work. 85,000 long term unemployed won’t work on building sites, it’s too hard and you have to get out of bed every morning.
have your say