Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the changes to Residential Tenancies Board rates. [49404/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The amendments to sections 137 and 137A of the Residential Tenancies  Act 2004, as amended, update the RTB tenancy registration fee in the context of the move to annual registration - providing a €40 fee per tenancy registration by private providers and €20 per tenancy registration by an Approved Housing Body (AHB).  Under the new annual registration requirements, a fee can only be charged in respect of the same dwelling once per year and a discounted single registration fee (€170 for a private landlord, €85 for an AHB landlord) can be applied where the same landlord registers up to 10 tenancies of dwellings comprised in the same property.

The key change from the existing tenancy registration fees is that AHBs will be charged fees that are half those applicable to private providers – currently, all landlords pay the same registration fee. The reduction in AHB fees is provided in recognition of the public service that they provide in meeting the housing needs of those in receipt of social housing supports, and of AHBs'  charitable (or similar) status.

The 2019 Act also provides for penalties for late registration of tenancies of €10 for every month, or part thereof, that passes until the tenancy is registered. 

The provisions requiring the annual registration of tenancies are planned for commencement in Q1 2020. Preparations are underway in the RTB to roll out a simple online registration system to cater for annual registration.