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Sarah Hamill: Winter eviction ‘ban’ does little more than buy the government time

The problem with the rental market is not over-regulation but bad regulation, poorly enforced

Housing minister Darragh O’Brien: should use the breathing space afforded by the ban to introduce more useful measures. Picture: PA

In chess, the term zugzwang refers to a situation where it is your turn to move, but any move will make your position worse. Such is the situation the government claimed to be in last week with respect to the housing crisis.

Faced with increasing pressure on emergency accommodation, a shortage of rental properties, decreasing numbers of small landlords, and allegations that any further tenant protections would be unconstitutional, it was unclear what the government ...