Housing

Northern Ireland’s High Court has determined that a decision by the NI Housing Executive (NIHE) erred in denying an applicant 'intimidation points' where he had repeatedly received death threats. The court found that it was irrational to undermine the applicant’s attempt to be rehoused w

Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) has reported an increase of more than 180 per cent in queries from people who have been refused access to emergency homeless accommodation. The independent law centre received over 2,000 phone calls in 2021 and assisted 503 individuals and families at risk of homeles

Legislation introducing a temporary ban on most evictions of residential tenants over the winter has been passed by the Oireachtas. The Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Bill 2022, once signed into law by the president, will defer ‘no fault’ tena

Residential landlords will not be able to evict tenants over the coming winter months under plans agreed by ministers today. Housing minister Darragh O'Brien said new legislation would provide a temporary and conditional stay on tenancy terminations this winter, despite earlier suggestions by govern

Construction cost inflation (83 per cent) along with planning permission and judicial review timelines (76 per cent) are the two biggest challenges facing the housing sector, according to a survey conducted by ByrneWallace LLP.

Proposals to enshrine the right to housing in the Constitution are based on a "gross untruth" and are not necessary to tackle the housing crisis, barrister and politician, Michael McDowell has said. Writing in The Irish Times, the senator and former justice minister and attorney general said such a

The High Court has granted an interlocutory injunction restraining trespass on a property by tenants despite the plaintiff agreeing to purchase the property “subject to occupancy”. It was held that the defendants had not established that the mortgagee had consented in writing to the crea

Online platforms will be banned from advertising short-term lets in rent pressure zones (RPZs) which do not have the requisite planning permission under proposed new rules. The government has said it will amend the law in a bid to return more homes to the long-term rental market in RPZs, where rents

The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal against an order removing an elderly couple from possession of a property which they had agreed to purchase from the previous owner. The couple had been in possession of the property for five years and paid a nominal rent during that time. Delivering judgmen

New planning regulations will allow for the fast-tracking of temporary accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. Certain classes of temporary development, including residential accommodation, undertaken by or on behalf of a State authority, to provide protection to displaced persons from Ukra

Planning law changes introduced to increase home ownership and restrict the practice of bulk purchasing by institutional investors have led to almost 16,000 residential units being ring-fenced for individual buyers. Housing minister Darragh O'Brien yesterday published a progress update on the minist

The risk of judicial review is seen by property industry professionals as one of the biggest obstacles to Ireland meeting its housing needs, according to a survey by Mason Hayes & Curran LLP. The business law firm surveyed more than 300 attendees at its Future of Property Conference, of whom 95

A two-day conference beginning at UCD School of Law today will help to develop a proposed housing rights amendment to the Constitution. Hosted by the Housing Commission, established by the government to bring forward proposals on the wording for a referendum on housing, the conference will feature a

Landlords are now required to register their tenancies with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) every year following the commencement of new legislation. Commencement orders providing for the necessary legislative underpinning to require the annual registration of tenancies with the RTB were signe

Communities would get a greater share of increases in land value arising from local authority planning decisions and public investment in infrastructure under legislative proposals from the government. The general scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones’ Bill was published