A new group of activists has started working to support Dublin tenants facing eviction, rent increases and poor conditions. The Dublin Tenants Association, based in the Dublin 7 area, is a new group providing mutual support for tenants facing problems.
According to Sive Bresnihan, an activist with the group, the association was formed by tenants who “were tired of being treated like second class citizens.”
The group supports their fellow tenants with advice on their rights and had some successes. According to Bresnihan, while “there’s very rarely a clean cut situation with housing issues, we have seen some great results where the situation is more or less resolved to the tenant’s satisfaction.There are other times where there is very little we can do, because the legislation and tenants’ rights are just not strong enough.”
With skyrocketing rents in the capital, tenants are faced with a variety of problems. The association has dealt with issues such as rent increases, evictions, deposit retention and poor housing conditions, which can even be compounded by instances such as harassment and intimidation from landlords.
In the long run, the group hopes for access to high quality and reasonably priced accommodation with strong rights for tenants. However, this requires, Bresnihan says, “that tenants are empowered and have a strong collective voice, and we need better policy and regulation of the sector.” They believe that associations can help organise tenants in pursuit of this aim, and in the immediate future, will be hosting events and talks to spread these ideas and help set up like-minded associations in the city.
