Landlords are exiting the rental sector in their droves. In episode 3 of Find Me A Home we witness the resulting consequences; leases are being terminated and vulnerable families face eviction with nowhere else to go. The lack of affordable rentals is now the pressure point for people becoming homeless
In Galway city, we meet friends Céclie, Robert and Stuart who were happily sharing a house for 3 years until their landlord sold not only their house but the entire terrace. On the same day, all 12 houses received letters with their notice to leave.
We had heard of this happening in Dublin and we thought we were safe. You can’t believe it’s happening to you. It’s been impossible to find anywhere else to live. Robert Landiss/Stewart Killeen
After a long search they find one of very few rent-capped properties available to view in the city. But at just €1,100 a month they face huge competition.
In this episode we also meet Geraldine Kidd who lost her home 12 years ago when it was re-possessed at the height of the boom. She had lived in the house with her two children, paying the mortgage for 18 years. But when the bank took her house she was left with nothing and had nowhere to go.
I was going to hostels for a while, but then my family helped out because they didn’t want to see the kids in a hostel. I know how lucky I am – some people don’t have family like I do. Geraldine Kidd
Ger has been to over 50 viewings. At every turn she faces huge competition.
My kids need a home. For 12 years we’ve been squashed into one room since my daughter Amy was 9. Now she is 21. They’re great kids for what they’ve been through. Geraldine Kidd
In Dublin, rental values are 30% higher than at the Celtic tiger peak. The lack of supply means that landlords of new tenancies can now name their price. So why are so many landlords getting out of the market when rents are sky-high? In 2017, in a bid to protect tenants, the government brought in rent controls. Across the country approximately 50% of all tenancies are now rent-capped. Its now illegal for landlords to increase the rent by more than 4% a year. In Find Me A Home we highlight the unintended but very real consequences to rent caps – Landlords with properties caught on recessionary rent are selling up and exiting the market. 78% of families who became homeless over the last year had been in rented accommodation until their landlords decided to end the lease to sell up.
Series Produced & Directed by Edel O’Brien
Executive Producer David Cumming
Executive Producer RTÉ Grainne McAleer
Contact: 087 6481441 edelmob@gmail.com