Tenants to get right to purchase when landlord sells

Darragh O'Brien

Seen by The Irish Times, the draft Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill, would allow tenants first refusal in the event of a sale.

Landlords would have to invite tenants to make a bid to purchase the property once a termination notice has been served. The rules provide that a tenant would then have 90 days to make one or more bids.

After the 90-day period, the landlord must invite another bid from the tenant if the price agreed with a third party on the open market “is lower than or equal to the tenant’s highest unsuccessful bid made during the initial 90-day period”.

“The landlord would be required to give this further invitation to bid to the tenant directly prior to agreeing the final sales price with the third party and the tenant would have 10 days within which to make the necessary further [matching] bid,” the draft legislation states.

Critics have noted that the vast majority of tenants are not in a position to purchase and that the legislation would have little impact.