'Unthinkable' - Almost 1000 Irish households were at risk of being homeless since April

National housing charity Threshold prevented over 950 households across Ireland from becoming homeless since April, according to figures from their latest Impact Report.

As with previous quarters, tenancy termination remains the biggest issue that renters face, with 35% of queries related to this.

The charity’s Q2 2025 Impact Report shows that over 8,500 households were supported by Threshold advisors in the last quarter, including over 11,400 adults and more than 7,000 children.

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Of the new households that contacted the charity since April last, 1,595 were at risk of homelessness. Threshold helped 951 households to stay in their home or find a new home, where possible. 

Speaking on the report,Threshold’s National Advocacy Manager, Ann-Marie O’Reillysaid:

“While Threshold continues to be concerned about strains on renters in 2025, it is encouraging to see people reaching out to us for support and guidance around their rights as private sector renters.

“Our Q2 Impact Report highlights the need for continued work and advocacy to support private renters across Ireland, even with the updated Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) legislation, which extends the RPZ rent controls across the nation.”

Rent Pressure Zones

As of 20 June 2025, all counties nationwide are now classified as a Rent Pressure Zone. The extension of RPZs nationwide means that all tenancies benefit from the cap on rent increases. Rent cannot be raised by more than 2%, or inflation if lower, every 12 months. 

Any rent increase must be issued through an official rent review, with a formal notice provided to tenants at least 90 days in advance. In areas newly designated as RPZs, landlords must wait 24 months from the date of the last rent review before issuing another.

This must also be delivered as a formal physical document, as informal methods such as text messages or phone calls do not meet the legal requirements.

Commenting on recent legislative changes, O’Reilly said: 

“Threshold welcomes the extension of Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) nationally, providing crucial protection to an additional 41,000 households. We now want to ensure that all renters know that they are protected by the 2% rent increase cap and encourage renters to get in touch if they have any questions, worries or concerns.

“We support the revised National Development Plan given the importance of delivering housing and infrastructure to support housing development. We will continue to engage with the Government and other stakeholders in the coming months on further proposed changes to seek the best outcome for the rental sector as a whole.”

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Case Study: Jackie’s Story 

Jackie had been renting her home for four years when her landlord sadly passed away. The rental property was inherited by a relative who told Jackie that they wanted to raise the rent, as they had to pay inheritance tax on the property and had taken on a mortgage for this reason.

Due to this, the landlord said that they wanted to increase Jackie’s rent to €1,300 per month, as similar houses in the area had rents of €1,600. This would be an increase of 62% from what she had been paying.

Jackie had been a model tenant to her previous landlord who lived nearby. They had a good relationship, and Jackie treated the home as if it was her own. 

She called Threshold and spoke to a housing advisor on 20 June 2025, the same day the area she was living in was made a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ). She had no idea that this legislation had been passed. The advisor told Jackie that rent increases in RPZ areas cannot go above 2% per year and must include formal documentation.

As Jackie had not received an official Notice of Rent Review from her landlord before 20 June, the landlord’s rent increase had to follow RPZ rules.

Even though Jackie was also paying for her mother’s home care, she offered a compromise as she did not want to damage her relationship with her landlord and feared receiving a Notice of Termination. She explained that she could pay €1,000 a month, still a 25% increase from what she had been originally paying.

The landlord was surprised that Jackie was not willing to pay the 62% increase, and since then the relationship between the two has deteriorated. Jackie said that the idea that market rates can determine whether you have a home or not is “unthinkable”.

Jackie is currently waiting to hear what the landlord decides regarding the rent increase.

Threshold’s service is available by phone, Monday to Friday, 9am-9pm at 1800 454 454, or online at www.threshold.ie/get-help to any private renter in need of advice and support.