Sinn Féin Seeks Emergency Ban on Rent Hikes, No-Fault Evictions Amid Record Notices

Sinn Féin will debate a motion in Dáil Éireann tonight to introduce emergency bans on rent increases and no-fault evictions. This follows new Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) data showing a 51% increase in eviction notices in Q1 2026 compared to the previous year, with 7,062 notices received—the highest quarterly figure since data collection began.

Opposition parties attribute this spike to recent government reforms allowing landlords to reset rents to market rates after a tenancy ends. While intended to attract investment and boost supply, critics argue these changes have led to surging rents and increased eviction stress for families. Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin stated the new rental rules, effective March 1, are detrimental to tenants, claiming current eviction numbers are the highest since the Famine, referencing approximately 20,033 notices in 2025 and 20,000 evictions in 1850.

The RTB data also revealed a 4.4% nationwide increase in existing rents and 5% for new tenancies in Q4 2025. Average rent for new tenancies reached €1,755, while existing tenancies averaged €1,503, meaning sitting tenants pay €252 less monthly. Sinn Féin's motion calls for an emergency ban on rent increases and no-fault evictions, opposing rent hikes for council tenants, HAP/RAS recipients, and cost-rental tenants, and advocating for a full month's rent reduction for private renters.

People Before Profit's Richard Boyd Barrett supported the ban and serious rent controls, highlighting a rise in evictions due to overcrowding. Labour's Conor Sheehan criticized the rental changes, introduced by Housing Minister James Browne, as favoring high-end build-to-rent apartments for institutional investors and stressed the importance of the cost-rental model for those ineligible for social housing but unable to secure mortgages.