Three months notice of rent hike or evictions proposed

Landlords will have to give three-months notice before raising rents or evicting tenants under new measures proposed by Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Finance Michael Noonan are due to meet Mr Kelly this afternoon to discuss his plans to boost housing supply and the growing number of homeless families.

The contentious issue of rent certainty is also expected to be debated at the pre-budget meeting.

"Fine Gael is very cold on the concept of rent certainty," a Government source said on Thursday morning.

Mr Kelly wants tenants to have their rents fixed for three-years and linked to the rate of inflation.

Currently, landlords must give tenants a minimum 28 days notice of the termination of a tenancy when the duration of the tenancy is less than six months.

This period rises when the duration of the tenancy is longer, however.

Mr Kelly’s plans also include measures to incentivise builders and developers to sell properties at below market values.

The tightening of Central Bank rules on mortgage lending which came into force earlier this year has had an impact on the property market in Dublin in particular.

The development has put higher priced houses out of reach for many aspiring homeowners.

Mr Kelly will propose offering some leeway on development charges in order to encourage developers and builders to offer houses at more affordable levels.

The Government is also considering introducing a new tax relief for landlords who take people off the social housing list.

Officials from the Department of the Environment and Finance are finalising details of a package aimed at tackling the housing crisis.

Mr Kelly is pushing for a tax break for private landlords who assist the 90,000 people on the social housing list.