AMY AND HER two-year-old daughter were evicted by their landlord after she began using Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to contribute towards rent for her accommodation in Wexford.

Today’s 2024 report from housing charity Threshold shows that tenancy termination was the top issue tenants came to the organisation for help with.

The charity helps households, particularly renters, in difficult situations. Almost one in four cases opened by the charity in 2024 were for clients who had received a Notice of Termination, similar to 2023 figures.

The report included Amy’s story. She said her landlord terminated the tenancy on the basis that they planned to move back into the house, but he then re-let the property at a rent 21% higher that the rate she had been paying – well above the 2% Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) limit.

Amy brought her case to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) but was overwhelmed when the landlord presented derogatory and untrue evidence against her.

‘Frightening’

“It did frighten me”, she said.

Threshold provided Amy with an adviser who identified key evidence and represented her at the hearing.

The adjudicator ruled in Amy’s favour, awarding over €2,000 in damages, but Amy said it wouldn’t make up for the impact the ordeal had on her.

“No money could make up for the fear I felt at the thought of my two-year-old and I [being] homeless,” she said.

The charity, which provides an independent, confidential, freephone helpline, supported over 19,400 households in 2024.

The annual report showed Threshold represented 23,315 adults and 16,083 children in rental accommodation in 2024 and opened 14,514 – a significant increase on 2023 when 12,000 new cases were opened.

6,327 cases where renters had been at risk of homelessness were closed, preventing 4,262 of these households from entering homelessness services.

Charlotte was also represented by the charity. She had been living in her home with her family for more than eight years when she received a Notice of Termination due to rent arrears.

The arrears accrued when her rent supplement payment was unexpectedly stopped. Charlotte was more than willing to make a repayment plan with her letting agency while she got the rent supplement payment back in place, but there had been some breakdown in communication between her and the agency.

She was now on her way to being evicted without being given the opportunity to pay off the arrears. She had raised her children in the home, and did not want to uproot them from their community.

The Threshold advisor helped Charlotte engage with her letting agency to set up a payment plan. She paid off her rent arrears and she and her family remained in their home.

Continued action

Threshold highlighted the need for continued action on key renter protections, including the need for greater transparency in the private rental sector, support for licensees and stronger security of tenure measures.

Speaking on the new government housing plan, the report welcomed moves to strengthen tenancy protections though introducing national rent controls, improve security of tenure, and review HAP rates, but said it is “cautious about the proposed market rent resets between tenancies, and its potential to lead to inadvertently escalating rents”.

Commenting on the launch of the report, Chairperson of Threshold Oliver Holt said: “2024 continued to be a particularly busy year for Threshold, with over 76,000 inbound and outbound phone calls during the year, and 39,109 calls answered by our skilled advisers. It was also a time of significant organisational transformation in Threshold.”

Threshold CEO, John-Mark McCafferty said: “Our 2024 Annual Report reveals critical insights into the ongoing housing crisis, where demand continues to outstrip supply.”

“In 2024, through our dedicated advocacy and campaigning efforts, Threshold saw crucial policy changes that have provided enhanced protections for those at risk of homelessness. We also made significant strides in supporting access to tenant-in-situ schemes, allowing families to remain in their rented homes while enabling landlords to sell their properties to local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies.

“As households continue to struggle under the weight of rising living costs and housing insecurity, it is more crucial than ever for the Government to take decisive action.”

He said government needs to show a stronger focus on increasing social housing targets to meet the demand, and advance the proposed deposit protection scheme has not been advanced.

“These policy changes are essential in ensuring that the necessary protections and support for vulnerable tenants are in place during challenging times,” he said.