Property owners' association welcomes Government decision to halt eviction ban

Fiachra Gallagher

The Irish Property Owners' Association has welcomed the Government's decision to end the eviction ban, claiming that halting the moratorium "was crucial in order to stem the exodus of landlords from the property rental market".

Chairperson of the IPOA Mary Bulter said in a statement on Tuesday that measures encouraging the participation of landlords in the rental market "will have a positive impact on supply."

She also described the moratorium as an "inadequate policy response", claiming that the Government had introduced various measures akin an eviction ban over the course of the last number of years — despite having "no discernible impact" on homelessness figures. "In fact, the opposite is true."

"At all times, the IPOA expressed serious reservations over the constitutionality of the introduction of the eviction ban, and we had highlighted this on numerous occasions with senior politicians over the past number of years."

The statement equated the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tenants with that of the impact on landlords.

"We acknowledge the cost-of-living crisis is adding pressure on tenants paying their rents, the same is true for landlords who are exposed to huge financial risks, as a consequence of rising mortgage interest rates, inflationary cost pressures and the burden of taxation, without any means of recovering same through an increase in rents – this level of State intervention is unprecedented in any business," Ms Butler said.

"Non-institutional landlords are a vital cog in the private rental market that provides homes for hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland. With acute challenges – from changing demographics to immigration — facing policymakers on housing provision, we must be recognised as part of the solution.

"Private landlords are of strategic importance to the Government in solving the housing supply issue and we are committed to working collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to enable the retention of landlords in the sector."

The statement also called for the Government to focus on "protecting the existing rental supply" in place.

"We look forward to seeing a meaningful package of incentives from Government to incentivise property-owners to stay in the market."