Tathony House Tenants Win Eviction Battle
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) has declared the eviction notices served to nearly 100 tenants of Tathony House in Dublin 8 as invalid. The tenants, who have been living in the building for years, faced the threat of homelessness since October 2022, when their landlord Ronan McDonnell decided to sell the property.
Tathony House is a former hotel that was converted into emergency accommodation for asylum seekers in 2012. It later became a private rental complex, housing many low-income and vulnerable people, including a cancer patient, a lone parent and a healthcare worker.
The landlords decision to evict the tenants violated the Tyrrelstown Amendment, a law that prevents landlords from evicting 10 or more units of their property, unless they would suffer “undue hardship” financially by keeping the tenants. The tenants argued that the landlord did not engage wth the tenant in situ scheme, which allows Dublin City Council to buy the property and keep the tenants in place. The council tried to contact the landlord several times, but he did not respond.
The tenants refused to leave their homes and launched a campaign to resist the eviction. They held rallies, protests and petitions, and received support from local politicians, activists and community groups. “They also appealed to the RTB, which finally ruled in their favour on Friday.
The tenants celebrated the verdict as a victory for their rights and dignity. They also hoped that their case would inspire other tenants facing eviction to fight back and demand solutions for the housing crises. People Before Profit councilor and tenant of Tathony House Madeleine Johansson said: “There should be penalties for landlords who do not engage with the tenant in situ scheme and local authorities should be able to compulsory purchase to save families from homelessness”
