Tenant notices to quit increase to more than 5,700 in second quarter after eviction ban ends

Landlords issued 5,735 notices to quit to tenants in the second quarter of 2023, according to new data published by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) on Thursday.

The rate can now be seen to be increasing this year, given that almost 1,000 fewer notices to quit (4,753) were issued in the first quarter of the year.

The latest data follows a contentious decision by Government to end the moratorium on evictions earlier this year, a move that drew widespread criticism and predictions of rising homelessness.

According to the RTB, the majority of landlords in the second quarter (3,633) cited their intention to sell the property as their reason for issuing the notice.

That is in excess of the rates selling in previous quarters during 2022 and 2023, indicating a growing appetite by landlords to offload rental properties.

By comparison, just 923 landlords told the RTB that a family member intended to move into the property, the second highest cited reason for evictions.

In Dublin, where pressure in the rental sector is particularly acute, 2,298 notices to quit were issued during the second quarter, a rise of 14 per cent on the first three months of the year.

Two thirds of notices to quit in the capital (1,464) were issued on the grounds of intended sale.