Over 20 per cent jump in renters at risk of homelessness seeking help from charity

Ottoline Spearman

Over 2000 renters were at risk of homelessness in 2025, according to national housing charity Threshold.

Between July to September 2025, 2,160 households that contacted the charity were at risk of homelessness, a 22.8 per cent rise from the same period last year.

As before, most of these renters were at risk of homelessness because their landlord wished to sell their home.

The charity supported a total of 9,652 households in the same period, which represents 12,408 adults and 7,640 children. Threshold intervened to keep 872 households, comprising 1,150 adults and 809 children, in their homes or supported them to secure alternative housing,

Tenancy termination accounted for over 1 in 3 queries (37 per cent) raised, with renters also look for advice on a lease, accessing social housing, standards and repairs.

Licensees outside the system

Threshold is also calling for basic protections for licensees who are significant yet overlooked group of renters in Ireland.

Licensees differ from private renters as they are generally not protected by the Residential Tenancies Acts. This leaves them with no formal legal recognition, no access to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), and no guaranteed rights.

Examples of licensees can include people renting from head tenants in sublets, those whose housing is provided by an employer, people living in retirement homes or mobile homes and ‘lodgers’ living in digs.

Licensees are left vulnerable to sudden evictions, poor standards of upkeep of accommodation and a lack of recourse when issues arise.

The charity is calling for urgent policy change, legal protections and increased public awareness on these informal engagements. The charity has set out 13 practical policy recommendations, including the introduction of minimum notice periods, a central licence registry and tailored Rent-a-Room standards.

Threshold’s National Advocacy Manager, Ann-Marie O’Reilly, said: “The challenges faced by licensees are not new to Threshold. We have however seen a growing array of license style arrangements in the rental sector in recent years, which is a cause for concern.

"These renters must rely on trust with their licensor - the person they rent from – rather than rights enshrined in legislation. This highlights the need for urgent policy and legislative reform to provide protections for licensees across the country."

Emily*, a student from the UK, faced significant challenges finding accommodation in Dublin amidst the ongoing housing crisis. She applied for up to 50 properties daily, with an agent telling her that each property typically attracted around 600 applicant.

Emily arrived in Dublin without accommodation just two weeks before her classes started, and began exploring Rent-a-Room options, only to find many homeowners imposed strict rules such as curfews and limited kitchen access.

Emily finally found accommodation, paying €1,100 per month for a spare room with house owners under the Rent-a-Room scheme. Licensors sent mixed signals - with one licensor permitting her to have friends over, while the other reprimanded her for “disrespecting their home” by having people visit her.

She also faced boundary issues, such as having her food eaten and being unexpectedly tasked with caring for her licensors’ dog. She was given restrictions on her ability to work from home, and felt unable to voice her concerns due to the precarious nature of her arrangement.

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 or support.

*name changed