Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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549. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if there is an agreed national policy on the rent charged to tenants by approved housing bodies; if rents are related to the local authority rents charged in a given area; if an appeal mechanism is in place for tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4428/16]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) generally use the differential rent scheme as applied by the relevant local authorities to determine the rents of their dwellings. Under this system the amount of rent to be paid by a tenant is based on the income of the household.  Approved Housing Body rents for their social housing tenants are set when the AHB signs an agreement with the housing authority to house those tenants. Those agreements are made under section 6 of the Housing Act 1992.

My Department’s Memorandum on Capital Funding Schemes for Provision of Rental Accommodation by Approved Housing Bodiessets out the terms and conditions attached to the provision of funding under the schemes. It states that Approved Housing Bodies should fix rents at levels which are reasonable having regard to tenants’ income and the outlay of the Approved Housing Body on the accommodation, including the on-going costs of management. The Memorandum also states that it should be a condition of advancing a loan under the Capital Assistance Scheme that the housing authority has clear rights of consultation in relation to the fixing of rents generally.

The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 will bring AHBs under the remit of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) on commencement of Part 2 of the Act. This is expected to commence in the second quarter of 201 6 following which disputes arising in the sector may be resolved by the PRTB.