Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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693. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the current policies and supports available for tenants who fall into rent arrears; the procedures in place to ensure that vulnerable families are not put at risk of homelessness due to missed payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48776/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2025 (RTA) regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants.

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial, independent statutory body under the RTA to facilitate the resolution of residential tenancy disputes and operate a national tenancy registration system.

To lawfully terminate a tenancy on grounds of rent arrears, the RTA requires that a landlord must first serve the tenant with a written warning notice, and copy it to the RTB, seeking payment of the amount of rent arrears within 28 days of receipt of the notice. Where the rent arrears are not so paid, the landlord may serve a 28 day Notice of Termination (NoT) on the tenant on the grounds of rent arrears and copy it to the RTB; if not so copied, the NoT is invalid.

Upon receipt of a rent arrears warning notice, the RTA requires the RTB to provide information to enable the tenant to get advice from the Money and Budgeting Advice Service (MABS), and to help the tenant to get such advice, if the tenant so wishes. The RTB is also required to provide tenancy information to both the tenant and the landlord upon receipt of a notice of termination grounded on rent arrears. The objective is to ensure that early action is taken to address rent arrears, to the benefit of both the tenant and the landlord.

The housing charity Threshold, which my Department provides significant funding to, also provides a Tenancy Sustainment Protocol. This protocol is a key homeless prevention service provided by Threshold in partnership with local authorities and the Department of Social Protection. This protocol enables Threshold to apply for an enhanced rent supplement payment for households at immediate risk of homelessness due to a rent increase, helping them to remain in their homes.

Tenants are required to observe the normal terms and conditions of their lease/tenancy agreement including paying rent to their landlord and, in the event of tenants having difficulty doing so, they are encouraged to engage with their landlords at the earliest opportunity. They should also engage with the MABS and the Department of Social Protection as income supports, such as Rent Supplement, may be available to assist them.