Written answers

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Private Residential Tenancies

10:00 am

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 219: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the requirement for landlords who receive rent allowance to be registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board; if it is necessary to change legislation or to introduce secondary legislation in order to make such registration mandatory before rent allowance is paid to a landlord; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39573/09]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, landlords are legally obliged to register tenancies with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). The Department is working closely with the PRTB to ensure that all tenancies where rent supplement is in payment are registered with the PRTB. To that end, the Department provides details of new rent supplement payments to the PRTB to enable them identify tenancies that are not registered and to take any follow-up action necessary.

Landlords are legally obliged to register tenancies with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) within one month from the start date of the tenancy or at a later date on payment of an increased fee. For this reason, it is not practicable for the Department to insist that a tenancy be registered with the PRTB before payment of rent supplement can be made. There are also instances where a rent supplemented tenancy need not be registered with the PRTB, for example, in the case of renting a room in a house or where a premises is owner occupied.

Rent supplemented tenancies which are liable for registration with the PRTB, should be so registered. In that regard, the close working arrangements which the Department has with the PRTB should ensure that over time, all tenancies that come within the area of rent supplementation comply with the statutory system of tenancy regulation and safeguards.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.