Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020

Notices of termination under Act of 2004

5. (1) (a) A landlord shall not serve a notice of termination in relation to the tenancy of a dwelling during the emergency period.

(b) A tenant who, but for the operation of subsection (1), would not acquire any rights under Part 4 of the Act of 2004 shall not, by virtue of such operation, acquire such rights.

(2) (a) Subject to paragraph (b), where a notice of termination (that cites as a reason for the termination concerned the ground specified in paragraph 1 of the Table to section 34 of the Act of 2004) served before the emergency period specifies a termination date that falls during or after the emergency period, the termination date under that notice shall be deemed to be the revised termination date.

(b) If a dispute or complaint in respect of a matter that occasioned the giving of a notice to which paragraph (a) applies is referred to the Board in accordance with section 78 of the Act of 2004, that paragraph shall cease to have effect in relation to that notice—

(i) upon the expiration of 10 days from the making of a determination by an adjudicator under subsection (4) of section 97 of the Act of 2004 in relation to the dispute or complaint concerned save where an appeal from that determination is brought before the Tribunal, or

(ii) upon the making of a determination by the Tribunal under section 108 (other than a decision referred to in subsection (2) of that section) of the Act of 2004 in respect of such an appeal.

(3) Where a notice of termination (other than a notice of termination to which subsection (1) applies) referred to in section 34 of the Act of 2004 served before the emergency period specifies a termination date that falls during or after the emergency period, the termination date under that notice shall be deemed to be the revised termination date.

(4) (a) Where a notice of termination in respect of a tenancy of a dwelling of less than 6 months duration served before the emergency period specifies a termination date that falls during or after the emergency period, the termination date under that notice shall be deemed to be the revised termination date.

(b) A tenant shall not, by virtue of the operation of this subsection, acquire any rights under Part 4 of the Act of 2004.

(5) Section 67 of the Act of 2004 shall have effect during the emergency period as if, in subsection (3), “28 days” were substituted for “14 days”.

(6) In this section “revised termination date” means, in the case of a notice of termination served before the emergency period, the date immediately following the expiration of a period that consists of the aggregate of—

(a) the period of notice that remains unexpired on the commencement of the emergency period, and

(b) the emergency period.

(7) (a) Notwithstanding any of the provisions in this section, all proposed evictions in all tenancies in the State, including those not covered by the Act of 2004, are prohibited during the operation of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020.

(b) For the avoidance of doubt, this section applies to all Local Authority and Approved Housing body dwellings.

(c) For the avoidance of doubt, all Travellers who are currently resident in any location should not during this crisis be evicted from that location except where movement is required to ameliorate hardship and provide protection and subject to consultation with the Travellers involved.