Nearly a third of calls to the housing charity Threshold last year were from tenants faced with losing their homes.

The charity is publishing its annual report for 2017 this morning - warning of an 18% rise in tenants facing eviction.

The report shows that Threshold protected 4,376 tenancies last year – and represented 90 clients at Residential Tenancies Board hearings.

The report notes that tenancy terminations, rent reviews and rent increases were the main issues facing landlords and tenants last year.

The charity’s chairperson Aideen Hayden Threshold is marking its 40th anniversary this year.

“Since its foundation, our organisation has helped in the region of half a million people with a housing difficulty,” she said.

“Unfortunately, our services are needed now more than ever.

“Acquiring and maintaining safe, secure and affordable accommodation in the private rented sector is a huge challenge for many people in Ireland today, and not just in urban areas.”

Tenancy terminations

She said the charity is particularly concerned about the rise in people facing tenancy terminations.

“Over a third of our calls in 2017 relate to tenancy terminations, an 18% increase on the previous year,” she said.

“This points to the vulnerability of people in the private rented sector.”

Homelessness

The report finds that the charity’s services saved the State around €4m through its support of those at “imminent risk of homelessness.”

“Threshold helped an average of 364 households a month to remain in their homes last year,” said Ms Hayden.

“It must be remembered that these are not just statistics, these are real people – men, women and children with lives, and hopes, and dreams – and adequate services and procedures must be in place to protect them.

“It is fair to say that without our vital interventions, the homeless figures would be much higher.”

The housing minister Eoghan Murphy said it is “essential that tenants feel secure in their homes.”

Protection

He said the legislation to introduce stronger protections for tenants and hand more powers to the Residential Tenancies Board is imminent.

He said the new laws will allow the RTB to inspect rental properties and make sure that landlords are complying with Rent Pressure Zones.

He said new regulations are also being introduced to regulate short-term lettings in an effort to “ease pressure on the rental market for workers and families.”

“The supply of housing and particularly affordable homes is at the centre of our housing difficulties and for 2019 I have secured a record budget of €2.4billion to increase the supply of both social and affordable housing and this too will help to bring some relief to the rental market,” he said.