Home Economics: Can I evict my tenants for anti-social behaviour under the new rules?
Under the new tenancy rules being brought in, if my tenants are causing anti-social behaviour and need to be evicted, what are my rights in that situation now?
Answer
Yours is one of very many queries I'm receiving over the new rules applying to both landlords and tenants which the Minister for Housing is in the process of implementing.
That serves only to emphasise how confusing it all is, so hopefully precise and clear information will emanate to all parties sooner rather than later.
The legislation will take effect (we are told) from March 1, 2026, and apply in different ways to 'small' and 'large' landlords.
I will assume for this purpose you are the former – that is, having three or fewer tenancies.
Under the current, and new, arrangements, it is only 'no fault' evictions which are mentioned. That means circumstances where the tenant has done nothing wrong, but the landlord wants to sell up or evict for his own personal reasons, such as a family member needing the property, or because the lease is up.
You remain entitled to end a tenancy if a tenant doesn't meet their obligations, which includes circumstances where, for instance, they don't pay their rent or have caused damage.
Normally you must give a written warning 28 days before the Notice of Termination is issued; however, according to Citizens Information, if the behaviour is seriously anti-social, you do not have to give a warning notice but can issue notice to vacate with seven days' notice.
You are advised to issue a warning letter outlining the unacceptable behaviour and give them a 'reasonable opportunity' to amend it
The legislation defines anti-social behaviour as that which 'constitutes the commission of an offence that is reasonably likely to directly affect the well-being or welfare of others; causes (or could cause) fear, danger, injury, damage or loss to any person living, working or otherwise lawfully in the dwelling concerned or its vicinity, including violence, intimidation, coercion, harassment or obstruction of or threats to any such person'.
If the behaviour falls short of this conduct, but is persistent or has interfered with another tenant or neighbour's right to enjoy peaceful occupation of their property, you are advised to issue a warning letter outlining the unacceptable behaviour and give them a 'reasonable opportunity' to amend it.
Failing to do so means you can then issue notice on them with 28 days' notice that the tenancy is ending.
The Residential Tenancies Board (rtb.ie) has great material and sample letters to download so that the tone and letter of the law are met.
None of that is changing with these new rules.
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Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Home Economics: Can I evict my tenants for anti-social behaviour under the new rules?
Under the new tenancy rules being brought in, if my tenants are causing anti-social behaviour and need to be evicted, what are my rights in that situation now? Answer Yours is one of very many queries I'm receiving over the new rules applying to both landlords and tenants which the Minister for Housing is in the process of implementing. That serves only to emphasise how confusing it all is, so hopefully precise and clear information will emanate to all parties sooner rather than later. The legislation will take effect (we are told) from March 1, 2026, and apply in different ways to 'small' and 'large' landlords. I will assume for this purpose you are the former – that is, having three or fewer tenancies. Under the current, and new, arrangements, it is only 'no fault' evictions which are mentioned. That means circumstances where the tenant has done nothing wrong, but the landlord wants to sell up or evict for his own personal reasons, such as a family member needing the property, or because the lease is up. You remain entitled to end a tenancy if a tenant doesn't meet their obligations, which includes circumstances where, for instance, they don't pay their rent or have caused damage. Normally you must give a written warning 28 days before the Notice of Termination is issued; however, according to Citizens Information, if the behaviour is seriously anti-social, you do not have to give a warning notice but can issue notice to vacate with seven days' notice. You are advised to issue a warning letter outlining the unacceptable behaviour and give them a 'reasonable opportunity' to amend it The legislation defines anti-social behaviour as that which 'constitutes the commission of an offence that is reasonably likely to directly affect the well-being or welfare of others; causes (or could cause) fear, danger, injury, damage or loss to any person living, working or otherwise lawfully in the dwelling concerned or its vicinity, including violence, intimidation, coercion, harassment or obstruction of or threats to any such person'. If the behaviour falls short of this conduct, but is persistent or has interfered with another tenant or neighbour's right to enjoy peaceful occupation of their property, you are advised to issue a warning letter outlining the unacceptable behaviour and give them a 'reasonable opportunity' to amend it. Failing to do so means you can then issue notice on them with 28 days' notice that the tenancy is ending. The Residential Tenancies Board ( has great material and sample letters to download so that the tone and letter of the law are met. None of that is changing with these new rules.
RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Minister for Housing defends new Government rental measures
The Minister for Housing has defended new measures in relation to the rental market, saying they strike a balance between protecting tenants and supporting investment. Speaking in Galway this morning, James Browne acknowledged "there were a few different moving parts" in the planned legislation, but he said these were necessary, given the scale of the accommodation issues the country was facing. "There's always going to be a challenge around the complexity of doing anything like this, there's no one size fits all to bring a solution to this kind of complex situation," he said. He said a balance had to be struck between protecting tenants and ensuring that investors were willing to embark on building projects. The Minister said the Government wanted to protect existing tenants as well as increasing the supply of available rental properties. He said "a massive step change" was needed in this regard but that he believed the measures announced this week would help that to happen. He said investors needed certainty as to what the long term situation would be regarding tenants rights. Minister Browne said the current situation with Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs), where rent increases are limited to two per cent, meant investors could make a loss, if inflation rose above that figure. He said this was causing a "blockage" but that more needed to be done to address what he termed "a viability gap" for new builds. He said the Government would be taking other measures to close this gap in the coming weeks and months. The Minister added that a minimum security of tenure, of six years from next March, would protect renters entering into a new lease agreement, while allowing landlords to be able to reset rents "every so often". He said he felt the six year period struck the right balance in that regard. But he said landlords couldn't take advantage of this to reset rents "to a mad number" and would have to charge market rates or lower. The Residential Tenancies Board would adjudicate on any disputes that arose in this regard, and would be provided with additional resources to do this. Minister Browne made his comments after opening a new office for the Threshold housing charity in Galway, where the twin issues of housing affordability and supply are having a huge impact on the lives of thousands of people. He said he had secured cabinet approval to tackle the impact caused by short-term holiday lets on the wider rental market. "We're in a housing crisis, where there is an issue with supply, we have to take priority decisions, and the priority has to be for people to have homes over short term lets" he said. The Government has already proposed passing legislation to outlaw short term lets, in the absence of planning permission, in towns with a population of 10,000 or more. The Minister acknowledged that this would have some impact on those dependent on such income but said the wider need for housing had to be given precedence. He said there had been a lack of enforcement of existing legislation around short term lets, but said "it should come to an end now". Mr Browne said planned legislation would give "really strong enforcement powers to ban the advertisement of short term lets". He said he would also be open to giving more powers to local authorities in terms of enforcement. The Minister has a series of engagements in the area today, including a meeting with campaigners in Conamara, who say the number of planning approvals for new homes in Gaeltacht areas is impacting the chance Irish speakers have to live in their own communities. He is also due to open the first cost rental housing scheme in Galway city this afternoon.
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Irish Times
Landlords could face stiffer fines for breaking rent rules
The Government is considering higher fines for landlords who breach rental rules in the wake of cabinet approving plans to overhaul the sector. Government on Tuesday agreed to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) across the country while also allowing higher rent increases in new-build apartments. Minister for Housing James Browne said the level of fines was being looked at to see 'how much can we increase those fines'. However, he was not yet able to say what level the higher fines might come in at. There was a level after which it would be more appropriate for the courts to impose a fine, he said, rather than the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) which is to be responsible for policing the new regime. READ MORE Briefing reporters after Cabinet on Tuesday, Mr Browne was unable to offer a specific timeline on when he believed rents would come down, saying it would only happen after increased supply and investment which he believed would follow from the reforms agreed. He would only say he expected rents to fall over time. 'What that particular length of time is, I wouldn't be able to predict,' he said. The new rules will allow rents in new build apartments to be raised above the current limit of 2 per cent after six years, while also ending 'no fault evictions' for landlords with four or more tenancies. Under the new rules, the circumstances where a smaller landlord can evict someone in order to move in a family member will be tightened. A restriction will be introduced on an eviction being allowed only when an immediate family member needs the accommodation, or when the landlord is facing bankruptcy, insolvency or 'some other particular hardship'. If a landlord exercises their right to break a tenancy, they will not be allowed to reset the rent, Mr Browne said - meaning there would not be an economic incentive to engineer an eviction. All landlords will be able to sell a property with the tenant remaining in situ at any time. Landlords will not be allowed to reset rents during tenancies created before the end of next February. The Minister also said there would be further funding and support for the RTB which will be tasked with enforcing the rules. 'The Government wishes to put the sector on notice today that from the 1st of March 2026, stronger tenant protections will apply,' he said. From next March larger landlords - classified as those having four or more tenancies – will not be able to put a 'no fault' eviction in place. Mr Browne said tenancies will be for an unlimited time, with a 'minimum duration' of six years, which he said would be a 'real leap forward' for tenant protections. Under the reforms, only new build apartments will be able to increase rents by more than 2 per cent currently allowed under the Rent Pressure Zone legislation. This will be limited to increases equivalent to the rate of inflation at the time. That will only apply to apartments being commenced from today, so it will be several years before these units come to the market. 'The changes I'm making today will have a significant impact for our rental sector, making much needed investment more attractive while strengthening the protections and providing greater certainty for renters,' he said. He said there was a 'fine balance' to be struck as the State aims to attract investment in the apartment building sector while ensuring fair treatment for tenants. Mr Browne is promising a suite of further measures, including planning extensions and planning exemptions in the coming weeks. 'This is not being presented as a silver bullet. This is to strike a balance, to bring clarity and to bring certainty,' he said. 'Without all of these things we cannot ramp up the supply needed, and I'm determined and ambitious to get this right.'
