COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, June 13, 2022

QUESTION NO. 18

QUESTION: Councillor David McManus

To ask the Chief Executive how many housing tenancies have been terminated due to rent arrears or anti-social behaviour by South Dublin County Council, and if a statement is available please?

REPLY:

The Council recognises that anti-social behaviour can have a very significant effect on the quality of life of our tenants and on communities.  Accordingly, we work in partnership with tenants and various other stakeholders to address such behaviour using a proactive and preventative, staged warning process to effectively manage anti-social behaviour issues as part of our responsibilities and powers under the Housing Acts 1966-2014 and enforcement for serious breaches of tenancy.   Where a tenant or members of their household continue to engage in anti-social behaviour and have not meaningfully enaged with the Council and/or changed such behaviour, the Council may, where appropriate, commence legal proceedings for repossession of a dwelling which will result in the termination of a tenancy. 

Since the ending of the COVID-19 related moratorium on termination of local authority tenancies, the Council has had two cases before the district court in May 2022 in relation to anti-social behaviour.  In one case, the Council successfully secured an order for possession while the second case was adjourned until September 2022 to allow the tenant further time to seek legal representation.

The Council’s Debt Management Unit take a compassionate approach to tenants who have found themselves in Housing Rent arrears and continue to engage with tenants to assist in resolving their arrears. However, it is becoming evident that a number of tenants are refusing to engage constructively to address their arrears. SDCC currently have 998 cases at various stages within the legal process where tenants have not engaged with the Council to discharge their arrears. These cases, if not resolved in the immediate future, will result in legal proceedings for the repossession of the dwelling, once a court date has been obtained

In addition to the cases relating to anti-social behaviour, the Council has had three cases before the district court in May 2022 relating to rent arrears. In all cases, the tenants have entered into payment arrangements to discharge the arrears and therefore all cases have been adjourned until September 2022, at which point they will be revisited.