Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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219. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether the Housing (Rent Books) Regulations 1993 are arcane and require updating, in view of the widespread non-compliance with rent book rules and entitlements; and his further views on whether the regulations were designed for payment of rent in cash rather than via electronic transfer and direct debit which the great majority of persons now use. [22833/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The requirement to provide a rent book is set out in the Housing (Rent Books) Regulations 1993. These regulations were subsequently amended in 2004 and 2010.

All landlords are obliged to provide tenants with a 'rent book' (or other documentation serving the same purpose) at the commencement of a tenancy. The purpose of the regulations is to provide the tenant with basic details regarding their tenancy and proof of  payment of rent by way of receipt.

All rent and other payments under the tenancy must be acknowledged in writing by the landlord. In addition, the rent book must contain specific particulars relating to the tenancy including, among other things, the name and address of the landlord and of the landlord’s agent (if any), the term of the tenancy, the amount of the rent and of any other payments to be made by the tenant to the landlord, details of any advance rent or deposit paid and an inventory of furnishings and appliances supplied with the house. The rent book must also include a basic statement of information for the tenant which is set out in the Schedule to the Regulations.

In 2015, the latest year for which figures are available, of 13,066 dwellings inspected, 2,293 properties were found to have no rent book.

The regulations provide that where a tenant makes payment to the landlord other than by handing over the rent directly, such as by direct debit, the landlord must, not more than 3 months after receipt, record the payment in the rent book or acknowledge by way of statement to the tenant.

The regulations will be examined as part of the review of the overall regulatory framework and the consolidation and simplification of the Residential Tenancies Act envisaged under the Strategy for the Rental Sector.