Tenant in Situ

Notice of Termination Information for Tenants

Cork County Council is aware that households in the Cork County area who may have received a Notice of Termination (Notice to Quit), from their landlord may be unsure of what to do.

Cork County Council would like to advise anyone affected of the options that are available to them in these circumstances.

As a first step tenants who have been issued with a Notice of Termination, are strongly encouraged to contact Threshold, a service funded by Cork County Council to provide tenancy protection service for renters in Cork County.  Threshold can confirm whether a Notice of Termination is valid or not and can be contacted directly on Freephone 1800 454 454, via their website www.threshold.ie or in person at 22 South Mall, Cork.

Further to advice from Threshold tenants can contact Cork County Council’s Housing Department who will take note of the termination date and advise them of their options. The Council’s first response will be to try to prevent homelessness and to support households to find alternative accommodation. This includes assessing the person’s individual housing need, providing advice on applying for Choice Based Lettings and advising the person on the level of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) they may be eligible to receive. In appropriate cases the Council may acquire the dwelling where the tenants reside if it is available for purchase through the Tenant in Situ scheme and if landlord is interested in selling to the Local Authority.

While the Council will, in the context of current circumstances, adopt flexibility in dealing with potential acquisitions of properties through the Tenant in Situ scheme, any acquisition is subject to appropriate due diligence and checks before any commitment is made to acquire, including, for example, determining that a valid Notice of Termination is in place, the tenant has a social housing need, and the condition and valuation of the property.

Placement in emergency accommodation will be a last resort if no other alternative can be identified. For households in emergency accommodation there will be support to assist them to access more permanent social housing supports.

Where a Person or Household is not Eligible for Social Housing

Cork County Council can assess and refer households for the Cost Rental Tenant in Situ scheme managed by the Housing Agency on Cork County Council’s behalf and provide advice or direct to appropriate services. 

The Cost Rental Tenant in Situ scheme is available for tenants who are not eligible for social housing and are at risk of homelessness. Local authorities are a first point of contact for this scheme but it is managed by the Housing Agency who are a Government Housing Body working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in the delivery of housing services. Under the scheme the Housing Agency can purchase a property and rent it to the tenant. Local authorities will undertake an initial assessment of the tenant’s circumstances and refer details to the Housing Agency for consideration, where the tenant is at risk of homelessness and the Cost Rental Tenant in Situ scheme applies.  

Where a tenant wishes to purchase their home, local authorities can advise and support on the Local Authority Home Loan scheme. The Council is aware that the Government is examining implementing a ‘right of first refusal’ for tenants to purchase their homes, as well as expanding the First Home shared equity scheme. The Council awaits further details on the proposed schemes from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and will provide further updates when available.

Tenants may also wish to contact the Residential Tenancies Board, Threshold or other tenant support services for support and advice. 

The contact details below, include a dedicated email address tenantinsitu@corkcoco.ie and should be used by tenants who have received a valid Notice of Termination or a landlord who has issued a valid Notice of Termination to their tenants and who may wish to sell their property to the Council.

The key contact details are:

Email: tenantinsitu@corkcoco.ie

Contact details for Homeless Services are as follows:

South Cork, Cork County Council Housing Department, Southern Division, Floor 4, County Hall, Cork.

Tel: (021) 4285250

North Cork, Cork County Council Housing Department, Northern Division, Annabella, Mallow, Co. Cork.

Tel: (022) 21123

West Cork, Cork County Council Housing Department, Western Division, Old Mill, Kent Street, Clonakilty, Co. Cork.

Tel: (023) 8833328

All offices are contactable on the numbers above on normal working days from 09.00 am to 5.00 pm. Public counters are open from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.