I’m aware there is a Landlords Association of Ireland, but is there any similar group for tenants? I have done a search, and have found Threshold and PRTB, but they’re not really what I’m looking for.
I’ve seen the figure 750,000 as the number of people renting in Ireland today, but I can’t find a source, would anybody be able to point me in the right direction?
As a tenant, I am told I cannot attend my developments AGM-is this standard practice?
It would be cool to have a strong advocacy group for tenants. It’s sickening to see the smug recklessness of some mortgage holders and the broad opposition to repossession of ‘home owners’, whereas tenants have little or no voice.
It seems extraordinary that roughly one third of the Irish population are tenants, that’s over 1 million people, but they have no representation.
And this in a country with some of the poorest tenants rights in Europe.
Surely they would form a significant lobby?
I was struck by this very fact in my early 20’s and thought about setting one up. I met with some people. Talked to some ngo type outfits and politicians (some who have since made it into government and are now out again).
I ended up creating this place as an instead due to urgent nature of what was so invisible to nearly everyone. I think it was the most efficient path in hindsight and one that allowed more creative expression.
The next logical step is always political party or has been for some years. I tried to conjoin some forces in the past and I have gained a measure of that process now in more ways than one over my life. It’s a possible real tangible thing but thing but it’s not something to undertake lightly for reason that might not seem obvious. You are entering a different realm almost but if you want to make a realm of your own collectively you have a better chance of resolute birthing and sustenance therfore you might not decide politics.
We certainly need more if not all the people who are not (existing) politicians presently to very quickly become politically involved, elected and at the helm. Otherwise nothing is going to change to anything of use regardless of outcome. There are always many potential positives to be realised. We can always win if we imagine a way we can.
If there is another meetup in the offing I’d be open to a pre drinks brain storm and general discussion about aims and objectives of a tenants representative group.
I’d like to hear more about how other rental markets work and what can potentially be applied here. It’s an issue that affects everyone, those who own their houses at the moment for reasons like divorce or job loss may find themselves reentering the rental market and just like everyone else would benefit from better security of tenure than that which currently exists.
Political parties will adopt it as an issue for as long as it grabs headlines and forget about it whereas a single issue group can build momentum.
Lobby groups need capital to back them up. At least they do in what we’ve come to recognise as a democracy.
That, or a few dozen genuine matryrs that can afford their time to devise ways in which to exert influence.
Is there a preexisting more powerful lobby with a similar, though not necessarily equal, social, political and economic standing upon which a fledgling Tenants association could piggyback back perhaps? For a time ay least.
Good point about the funding - which would probably make the project for a tenants’ lobby more feasible as a policy initiative within a political party. Unless we have a benevolent billionaire pinster who’d like to supply the capital?
Among the policy changes that a Tenants Association might target, this rule from the Dutch system would provide much-needed stability for tenants:
“SEVERAL TDs are in breach of regulations requiring landlords to register tenancies with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB),
an analysis of the recently published Register of Interests has found.”
There was a similar meeting in Meath over the weekend. Organised by Nick Killian they were looking for Tenants, Homeowners, Builders and Developers to attend. No idea what unfolded and was itching to go myself, but the time is just not there for me at the moment.
20 years I was involved in a group that tried to organise tenants in Rathmines but it turned out to be a front for the Socialist Workers Party (aka RBB before he morphed into PBP)
Unfortunately they were more interested in demonstrating in front of the US embassy instead of tenant protection and rent reform
Almost all the parties left of centre have a tenant protection agenda but none have managed to turn it into an electoral platform issue … yet
