100 people seek new social housing over neighbours’ behaviour

More than 100 people in social housing have requested to move as a result of anti-social behaviour by their neighbours in the last two years, new figures show.

However just 12 evictions were carried out of those engaging in poor behaviour during the same period.

According to the figures, obtained by The Irish Examiner through a freedom of information request, more than 10,000 complaints were made to local authorities about anti-social behaviour in 2015 and 2016.

Many local authorities recorded an increase over the period, particularly in Dublin where the city council saw complaints rise one third to 1,385 between 2015 and 2016.

Demolition of 100-year-old council flats in Dublin planned

---

Homeless families to be housed permanently in modular housing

---

First beatification in Ireland puts Jesuit a step from sainthood

---

Female councillors rail against absence of paid maternity leave

---

The local authorities outside Dublin also had to deal with large numbers of complaints in Wexford County Council (563 cases), Limerick (450) and Cork City (300).

Louth (397), Wicklow (383), Sligo (311) councils also received large numbers of complaint.

The lowest number of complaints was received by Galway County council who recorded just five.

Of the 12 evictions carried out by councils, four were in Dublin. Another 100 people were removed from council houses in other circumstances including repossession orders and voluntary surrenders.

Exclusion orders, which are granted by the District Court, are also used to bar problem tenants from particular housing estates, Limerick City and County Council had 15 exclusion orders granted during the period. Tenants face jail terms if they breach the orders.

Complaints in the private rental sector are also on the rise. Landlord complaints against tenants for alleged anti-social behaviour increased by 71 per cent to 279 last year from 163 the previous year. The figure represents less than one per cent of all registered tenancies.

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) says there were 737 complaints from landlords in 2016 about residents refusing to vacate a property after falling behind in the rent. This is compared to 470 the previous year.

There were 351 complaints about illegal evictions by landlords in 2016 compared to 320 in 2015.

The number of evictions as a percentage of total tenancies has remained largely flat since 2012, at slightly under 1 per cent per year.

There were 1,111 complaints to the agency about landlords giving invalid notice of termination last year, up from 924 (20 per cent) in 2015.