A video has emerged of a tenant in Bridgetown, Co Wexford being told that their landlord was issuing them with an eviction notice because of the Government's new rental rules.
The video footage also shows the resident being told that the landlord would carefully follow "radio shows and political debate" over the subsequent days, before making a "final decision" on whether or not the tenants would be evicted.
The video was recorded by the tenant’s doorbell camera and captured a representative for the landlord going door-to-door in the Hazelwood housing estate last Friday.
The representative issued a total of 36 households, who share the same landlord, with Notices of Termination, just two days before the new legislation came into effect.
As a result, around 100 people have been left in limbo after being told that their landlord intends to sell their properties.
Following the emergence of the video, which was first highlighted on South East Radio’s Morning Mix, the affected residents have called for clarity.
Ann-Marie Lamb, who lives in Hazelwood, has said the video has come as a "relief" as it backs up what the residents have been saying in recent days.
Ms Lamb told RTÉ News: "You can also see in the video that he said he would give us ten days. It might not be bad news.
"So, I think a little bit of me is holding out hope for these 10 days to see what will happen.
"But, as the landlord hasn’t come forward yet to speak to the county council, speak to us, or anybody, I’m starting to lose hope."
"We would like answers. We want to know what our next step is. We would like to know where we are going to be living in six months’ time.
"That video coming out was a relief to us, to show that actually we weren’t lying. We were telling the truth, and they have put the houses up for sale as a direct consequence to that legislation."
Ms Lamb also said that she and the other affected tenants have been "running on fumes" since last Friday.
She said: "The county council have been quite good to us, all the councillors, the TDs, they have all come down.
"They have spoken to us. They gone over and beyond with phone calls late at night and everything, trying to reassure us, but at the end of the day, the only person who can reassure us is the person who owns the houses."
"We need him to come out and speak to the county council. We need him to come out and speak to us, just to see if we can make a plan with him, or if the county council can make a plan with him.
"Until such time as he shows his face, we are stuck in limbo, and that is the worst feeling in the world.
"Since Friday, 37 households haven’t eaten properly, we haven’t slept properly. We still have to carry on with our normal lives. Go to work, look after our children, and we’re all running on fumes.
"We speak to each other in the group chat at night-time, and we’re all tired. We’re drained.
"We just need an answer, just an answer, and even if it is bad news, then we can start looking at the next steps. But right now, we are just stood still waiting for a decision to be made," Ms Lamb added.
Meanwhile, local representatives also gave their reaction to the emergence of the video.
Labour TD for Wexford, George Lawlor said: "It’s clear that this new legislation is forcing people into homelessness. It’s clear that notices to quit are being issued on the basis of this new legislation coming in."
The landlord in question has been contacted for comment several times since the issuing of the Notices of Termination to the residents in Bridgetown first came to light last Saturday.
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has begun an investigation into the situation in the south Wexford village.
A spokesperson for Minister for Housing James Browne said as an "active file" is now being considered by the RTB, the minister cannot comment further on the specifics of this particular case.
However, the spokesperson said the minister wants to see any potential breaches of tenants’ rights "robustly" investigated and he cannot "speculate further on why this landlord decided to take this action" despite what appears to have transpired at people’s doors.
Since the new legislation came into effect last Sunday, landlords can reset rents for new tenancies to the market value.
Thereafter, rents can only be reset to market rates every six years, or at the start of a new a tenancy where the previous tenants have left the property voluntarily.
The spokesperson for Minister Browne, who is a TD for Wexford, also said: "Landlords cannot reset rent for a new tenancy if the previous one ended via a ‘no-fault eviction’ within the last two years, even in the case where there has been a sale to a new landlord."
Additional reporting Róisín Cullen
