Demand to reverse suspended Tenant-in-Situ council scheme

South Dublin County Council has suspended their Tenant-in-Situ scheme for this year.

The Tenant-in-Situ scheme allows for tenants to stay in their homes if their landlord decides to sell, by having the local council or Housing Agency buy it from them.

Introduced in April 2023, it has stalled since the end of 2024, when the previous government could not agree on funding targets on time.

SDCC had been allocated a budget of

€25 million for 2025 for the scheme, but are no longer accepting new applications.

“We undertook a review to determine our acquisitions programme for this year in line with DHLGH criteria, funding, and guidance,” the council said in a statement to The Echo.

“To date, we have completed the purchase of 42 homes with another 23 homes currently in conveyancing.”

They confirmed that these 23 homes currently in conveyancing are “provided for” under the €25million budget.

“This position will be kept under review should additional funding become available,” they added.

SDCC is the latest Dublin local authority to pause their Tenant-in-Situ scheme, as Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council have also put their schemes on hold.

Ballyfermot/Drimnagh councillor Daithí Doolan (SF) has called on Housing Minister James Brown to immediately reinstate the scheme.

“The Tenant-in-Situ scheme was a very effective homeless prevention tool, it allowed local authorities to buy homes from landlords who were carrying out no-fault evictions,” he said.

“Last year alone, 350 households were prevented from becoming homelessness.”

Cllr Doolan said that DCC had confirmed to him that that they had not processed any Tenant-In-Situ scheme applications received in 2025 due to funding restraints.

“This government is no longer just not working with us – they are now actively working against Dublin City Council. Minister Browne is not part of the solution, he has become a significant part of the problem,” he continued.

“I am calling on Minister James Browne to immediately reinstate funding for the Tenant-in-Situ scheme and to develop and broaden this successful homeless prevention tool.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.