Young single woman suddenly evicted 'looking at buying a van' with few other options

A 30-year-old single woman has recently received an eviction notice from her landlord in Dublin through no fault of her own.

The woman, Aoife McGrath, told Lunchtime Live that she has spent the last ten years renting and has never missed a payment or "done anything wrong".

She said that she is being let down “at every single opportunity” when it comes to housing policies and she doesn’t know what her future will look like after she was recently terminated.

“This is the second time that we’ve been told this, and then the third time it was the house was being sold,” she told Lunchtime Live.

“We’ve never once faulted on a payment, we’ve never been late, we haven’t caused any issues.

“It’s just heartbreaking to be quite honest, because where do they expect us to go?

“What options are there for people like me, or people that don’t really have the option to buy by themselves?”

Ms McGrath said she understands that “because of the new tenancy laws” alongside tax rates, many landlords are looking to get out of the market.

However, she said that even with actions such as the €1,000 renters' credit, the recent Budget 2026 doesn’t offer supports to renters.

“What good is that when rent is already so high?” she said. “That €1,000, is that going to help me find somewhere to live? Is that going to help me in the process?

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“Like, I went to a viewing last week for a one-bedroom bedsit, basically – it's priced nearly two grand.

“When I got there, there was 40 people trying to view a one-bedroom house.”

According to Ms McGrath, she was “nearly broken” by the last two moves she had to make.

“I’m heading into Christmas with a sick family member that will pass soon, knowing that I don’t have a stable base,” she said.

“I don’t know what my future is going to look like now; like, will I have to move out of Dublin? Will all of my contracts go?

“I’m self-employed so I work for myself, but I have loads of contracts on the go that are permanent contracts.”

Ms McGrath said that multiple of her friends and family have already emigrated, and while she doesn’t necessarily want to follow them, she feels stuck for choice.

“I’m looking at buying a van, to be quite honest, because at least that will be a stable place for me to go home to,” she said.

“Like, what other options do I have? Realistically, what other options do I have?”

Ms McGrath said she feels like “the Government are leaving us behind.”