By Ted Healy of DNG TED HEALY

It has been highlighted this week that the number of termination notices issued by landlords to tenants has risen by 58% in the first six months of the year compared to the previous six months.

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There were 2,913 termination notices issued in the first six months of this year compared to 1,845 in the last six months of 2021.

It is reported that 55% of those notices were for the purpose of sale of the property.

A ban on evictions during lockdown periods during the COVID-19 pandemic lowered the number of termination notices. However, the eviction moratorium was lifted in April 2021 and numbers have been rising significantly since then.

The figures, released by the Residential Tenancies Board, have been described as “very alarming and require urgent action”.

They highlight the ongoing crisis in the rental sector and make for stark reading. At the time of writing only four properties were advertised as being available for rent in Killarney on Daft.ie.

The exodus of private landlords from the market is a real concern and needs to be addressed. Landlords exiting the market in greatest numbers at present are those that in the past had charged rents that were less than market rates and are now only able to minimally increase rent on their properties because they are subject to Rent Pressure Zone rules.

The Government has extended Rent Pressure Zones until the end of 2024 and has prohibited any rent increase in a Rent Pressure Zone from exceeding general inflation or two percent, whichever is lower.

However, more needs to be done to entice private landlords to stay in the market and supply of available properties needs to be increased.