Credit crunch causing surge in tenant evictions
10/08/2008 - 21:57:35The downturn in the economy has caused a surge in the number of illegal evictions from rented housing, it was revealed today.
National housing group Threshold said tenants struggling to make payments were being forced to leave their homes by landlords finding it difficult to cover high-mortgage costs.
The body, which marks its 30th anniversary with a gala ball next month, said landlords are also evicting residents to bring in new tenants at a higher rent.
Bob Jordan, Threshold Director, said: “In general Threshold deals with 250 evictions a year and certainly in 2008 that figure will be significantly higher.
“The downturn in the economy has affected people living in the private rental sector and the number of illegal evictions.
“Where as landlords in the past are more forgiving of tenants if they get into rent arrears, what we are noticing now is that a tenant who gets into a week’s arrears or a month’s arrears, that the landlords are moving very swiftly against them.
“They are not even willing to use the legal mechanisms there.
“The reason that some landlords do that is because they themselves are struggling to pay their mortgage.”
Mr Jordan said there were also plenty of tenants keeping up with payments but landlords were forcing them to leave in order to get new residents and to charge a higher rent.
Threshold said the problem was country-wide with tenants coming home to find locks changed or people trying to force them out.
The organisation said the Government should make payments to tenants on low incomes to help them cover rent when they face difficulties.
“If people become homeless or lose their homes the cost to the Exchequer will be much more,” Mr Jordan added.
Threshold was founded in 1978 and is a not-for-profit organisation set-up to secure a right to housing, particularly for households experiencing the problems of poverty and exclusion.
The organisation operates a national office, based in Dublin, and four regional offices providing advice and support to more than 20,000 people annually.
A celebratory ball to mark the 30th anniversary will take place on September 13 in Dublin’s Westin Hotel.
Housing Minister Michael Finneran will launch the body’s annual report on September 17.
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