Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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359. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason the Residential Tenancies Board, when advised of a rent in a rent pressure zone that is in excess of the allowable cap, does not take enforcement or other action against the landlord, instead leaving responsibility with tenants to raise a case with the RTB and potentially face retaliatory eviction or other retaliatory action by the landlord in view of the fact that landlords are obligated to advise the RTB of revised rents in rent pressure zones. [2633/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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In September 2017, as part of the review of the Rent Predictability Measures, I announced a series of measures in relation to the rental sector, including a two-year change plan to develop and strengthen the role of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), particularly with regard to enforcement.

Charging rents above those permitted by Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2016 will become an offence and the RTB will be provided with the required powers of enforcement so that it will no longer be solely up to the tenant to initiate a dispute.  A landlord will be required to notify the RTB of any exemption claimed from the rent increase limits and the RTB will be empowered to take follow up enforcement action, if required. These changes will strengthen the impact of the Rent Predictability Measure and will further slow the growth in rents.  These enhanced enforcement procedures to be introduced in 2018 will reform the Rent Pressure Zone Mechanism to deliver a more effective and transparent approach to its operation.