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Ministers Kelly and Noonan announcing new deal for tenants

Greater supports for families facing homelessness

Environment Minister Alan Kelly has today announced a series of major reforms to the private rental sector in Ireland to provide rent certainty for both tenants and landlords.

A New Deal for Tenants which provides for rent certainty measures will include increasing the rent review period from one to two years, increased notice periods for rent reviews and much greater protections for tenants. The increase in rent review periods will mean that anybody who has faced a rent increase in 2015, will now not have a rent review until 2017. Legislation will require 24 months between all rent reviews, in what is among the most significant overhaul of tenants’ rights in the state.

“With one in five families renting in the state and home ownership declining, long-term renting will become an option for more and more people and the regulatory environment has to catch up with this. People in rented accommodation need greater security and certainty in their lease and these measures will provide that.”

“For families who were facing a rent increase next year, the longer distance between rent reviews will delay such increases for a year and ease the pressures on many families that are currently facing homelessness due to the shortage of supply,”

“Tenants do not have enough knowledge of their rights. Now there will be a legal obligation on landlords to notify them as to how to dispute excessive rent increases" said Minister Kelly.

The measures will also oblige landlords to provide more evidence that rent increases are in line with the local market rate and will legally oblige them to inform tenants of their rights and how to dispute future rent increases with the PRTB.

There will also be a new procedure to deal with rent arrears cases with the PRTB and determination orders concerning terminations will now be dealt with at the District Court level as opposed to Circuit Court, making it easier and cheaper for landlords, or the PRTB, to deal with unscrupulous tenants. While minor errors in Notices of Termination will no longer cause entire proceedings against problem tenants to fail, as is currently the case.

“Many low income families rely on the private rental sector and rents were escalating far higher than people’s incomes because of the housing shortage and the growth in employment. Landlords will be able to sell their properties or allow a family member to use them, but they will now have to provide a legal declaration that this is the case. Furthermore, it will become easier for landlords to deal with problem tenants through the PRTB and District Court as opposed to the more costly procedure of the Circuit Court.”

In addition to rent certainty measures, the Housing Assistance Payment limits are being increased in Cork, Galway, Kildare and Meath where flexibility allows for a 20% payment above rent supplement thresholds. For families in emergency accommodation in Dublin City, HAP payments will be allowed for 50% above rent supplement levels.

Read the press release here. 

Find more information on the measures here.