The emergency measures approved by the Government for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency are:

• a moratorium on notices to leave rental accommodation;
• a moratorium on rent increases; and
• an increase from 28 to 90 days in respect of the period of notice required to terminate a tenancy of less than 6 months.

Legislation will be presented to the Dáil on Thursday 26 March 2020 to amend the Residential Tenancies Acts to implement these measures. Residential tenancies will revert to the current legislative arrangements when the emergency period ends.

The Minister has not proposed a rent payment moratorium so tenants will be expected to continue to pay rent during the emergency period.

The Minister stated that these measures are intended to complement measures announced by the five main retail banks on 19 March 2020 including three month mortgage repayment breaks to be offered to landlords with buy-to-let mortgages, whose tenants have been impacted by COVID-19. The Government expects landlords to pass that flexibility on to their tenants.

A further briefing will be issued when the draft legislation is published next week.