Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 7, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:“Deposit not to exceed one month’s rent

6. Section 12 of the Principal Act (Obligations of landlords) is amended by inserting the following subsection:

“(6) A deposit (howsoever described, being money payable on entering into an agreement for the tenancy of a dwelling and intended to be held as security for the performance of any obligations, and the discharge of any liabilities, of the tenant under or in connection with the tenancy)shall not in any case exceed the monthly rent (or, if the rent is not payable monthly, the amount that the tenant pays in rent as calculated pro rata on a monthly basis) set under that tenancy.”.”.

We discussed a similar amendment at length in committee. This amendment proposes that a deposit would not exceed the monthly rent. Landlords would not be allowed to charge deposits of two months' rent or even three months' rent in some cases. The deposit should be confined to the monthly rent. While that is the norm there have been recent cases, and we have all heard of such cases, where potential tenants were asked for higher deposits. That excludes people who simply cannot afford to pay an additional amount for the deposit on a tenancy. For that reason, it discriminates against people who otherwise would be eligible for the particular home and able to pay for it. We discussed this issue at length and I am interested in the Minister's response.

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