'I had to move back with my separated husband' - renters on the strain of trying to find stable and affordable accommodation

The harrowing words of renters who participated in the Threshold Annual Tenant Sentiment Survey paint a dark picture of lack of security, rising costs and being trapped in substandard properties.

And for families, the struggle to keep up with rising rent as well as the rising cost of living, while wondering if you could face eviction and have to move your children to a different school if you do succeed in finding somewhere new, is laid bare.

“It was one of the most awful experiences having to leave the house after under one year. We rented the house and got the repossession notice two months after moving in. I had to move back to my separated husband as there was no alternative. The stress it took was unbelievable. No one is considering families,” said a woman in her mid 40s earning €35-€40K who is separated with three children.

“We started renting almost seven years ago, as with a two-year-old child we could not keep living with our parents. The cost of rent is so high, and it goes up each year; it has been impossible to save any income. We have no opportunity to be able to afford a home of our own,” said one man in his 30s earning €50-€55K in a two-parent family.

“I have lived in Dublin for over ten years, and I have seen the price of one-bedroom apartments go from €650 a month to €1,650 and above,” said a single woman in her mid 40s earning between €35-€40K.

A woman in her early 30s said if there was some security with renting it would help.

“I have small children who go to school in the area. My landlord is selling and I have to be out by June and have not found anywhere else to live. I'm worried I will have to change my children's schools yet again, she said.

Security was also an issue for man in his early 30s who is renting with his partner and earns €50-€55K. “Were grateful to have a home to rent. But it has been a constant source of stress as our landlord gives us a year-by-year lease and we have never felt a sense of security,” he said.

“Last year he decided to sell, and we could not find another affordable address in our area. Six months in he changed his mind and decided not to sell but put up the rent. We live in fear that any day he will change his mind again. It has been impossible for us to save and pay the rent, so there was no end in sight for our stress,” he added.

And for young people they see the future possibility of buying a house is bleak. “I’m completely resigned to the fact that sooner or later I will have to emigrate or else win the lotto,” said one 22-year-old man earning €35-€40K.

The elderly have difficulties also, as one man in his mid 70s pointed out.

“My rent increases faster than my pension, even in a rent-controlled area. So I may need supplemental funds to stay here,” he said.

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