More landlords will sell up if the eviction ban is extended but it is “on balance” the right thing to do, homeless charity Threshold has said. 

On Wednesday, People Before Profit tabled a bill in the Dáil urging the Government to extend the ban. 

The Government intended to oppose the legislation but after the Minister failed to inform the Dáil, the bill progressed to detailed scrutiny stage. 

If the bill fails, the eviction ban will expire on 31st March and advocates of an extension fear it will lead to further increases in the number of homeless people. 

“I think this is an impossible choice and, on balance, an extension is probably the least worst move,” Threshold CEO John-Mark McCafferty told Newstalk Breakfast. 

“Either way, there are negative consequences for renters in the short-term or the long-term. 

“If you do extend, there is a long-term threat to supply of private rental sector housing by small landlords who due to the uncertainty caused by the ban decide to sell up and leave the sector. 

“Maybe not now but in a… few years time.” 

Terraced houses in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland.

Ahead of the introduction of the ban last year, the Irish Property Owners Association said that its members were “very concerned” and that landlords were leaving the market because of "over regulation and over taxation.”

Mr McCafferty agreed that landlords would not welcome any extension to the ban and said the Government faces a “difficult choice”. 

“Any eviction ban will have a distorting effect on the private housing market and will have an adverse effect on landlords in certain circumstances,” he said.  

“So, yes this is an impossible balance to strike and with the ending of an eviction ban, families [who face evictions] don’t have alternatives right now because there’s very little supply out there and local authorities are maxed out in terms of emergency accommodation. 

“If you add to that, the end of March sees the start of the tourist season, so housing homeless families in hotels will be less of an option.” 

In December, there were 11,632 people in homeless accommodation - the sixth consecutive month the figure hit a record high.

Main image: A landlord with a key.