Rental rules blamed for significant increase in number of Cork evictions  

Evictions in Cork have increased significantly across the first quarter of this year, with the Government’s rental legislation being blamed.

It comes as housing charity Threshold has revealed it helped more than 2,000 Cork people avoid becoming homeless last year, with tenancy termination the most common reason renters sought help.

Data from the Rental Tenancies Board (RTB) shows that almost 40% more people in Cork received a notice of termination of their tenancy at the start of this year when compared to the end of last year.

A total of 2,231 notices of termination were issued in Cork last year; 591 in the first quarter, 527 in Q2, 588 in Q3, and 525 in Q4.

In the first three months of this year, the latest data available, 739 notices of termination were issued, a rise of 41% from the previous three months and part of a national quarterly figure that the RTB said was the highest ever recorded.

Overlaps with rental rules

This increase in eviction notices overlaps with rental rules which were introduced by the Government last year, and which came into effect on March 1.

The rules mean that, if a property is vacant, the landlord can set the rent at market rates instead of increases being capped at 2%, changes which opposition parties said would lead to a significant increase in evictions so that landlords could charge higher rents to new tenants.

Labour Cork City councillor John Maher told The Echo: “This is as a result of the Government’s plan, and we warned them that this was going to happen.

“Nobody wants to be right on these figures. I would have loved to have been able to put my hands up and say ‘I was wrong, thank God’, but I can only see things getting worse now.

“I don’t know what sort of data the Government needs to show them this plan isn’t working, because they’re just doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

According to Threshold’s annual report for 2025, it supported 3,858 Cork households last year, including 946 households which were prevented from entering homelessness, covering 1,248 adults and 841 children.

It comes as the number of homeless people in Cork topped 800 for the first time in April of this year. The latest available figure for May was 819, according to monthly data published by the Government.

Place home at risk

Research from Cork Simon has found that receiving a notice of termination from private rented accommodation is the most common reason for households presenting to emergency accommodation.

Threshold chairperson Oliver Holt said: “For many, a single event such as relationship breakdown, job loss, illness, or landlord action can quickly place their home at risk.

“Homelessness continues to break record levels and over one in every three contacts to Threshold’s services do so because they have received a notice of termination.”

However, he added that the renter protections brought in with the legislation do represent a strengthening of tenant security, describing it as “a significant step forward in strengthening protections for renters”. Threshold CEO John-Mark McCafferty added: “Stronger tenant protections are welcome, but they must be matched by a substantial increase in secure and affordable housing.”