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OVER ONE THIRD of landlords in receipt of rent supplement from the Department of Social Protection have not fulfilled their legal requirement to register with the private tenancies authority.
Officials from the Private Residential Tenancies Board told an Oireachtas committee yesterday that it had found 17,000 landlords so far this year who were receiving supplements from the State without registering with teh Board.
Landlords are required to register any individual tenancy with the PRTB, which doubles as a conflict resolution body. Rent supplements are ordinarily paid directly to a tenant through the Department, however – meaning they can then be handed on.
The board said that, based on records forwarded from the Department, around 34 per cent of landlords who were being paid a rent supplement by their tenants were not registered – a breach of legislation introduced in 2004.
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The PRTB said it was prepared to prosecute landlords who were not currently in compliance with the requirements, but would initially offer them a grace period to arrange their affairs.
This number is expected to fall in the future, as it becomes obligatory to supply a landlord’s PPS number when claiming rent supplement.
Under a similar scheme run by the Revenue Commissioners, which entitles private tenants to claim tax relief based on what they pay for rental accommodation, claimants are required to supply their landlord’s PPS number.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment was discussing proposals for a deposit retention scheme, which the government is proposing to introduce against the wishes of landlords and property agencies.
Student representatives told the committee that the proposal – which would see deposits left with a third party instead of with the landlord – was a sensible progression, but industry representatives said it was unnecessary.
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Why is this still problem? There’s an easy solution. No registration and your tenant gets nothing.
Given that the HSE won’t pay a supplement when you’re rent is over the €539 mark (in Dublin), most of the accommodation that you can get supplement for is pretty poor. and probably wouldn’t have many takers on the open rental market. Those landlords are relying on the State to pay the rent indirectly. Cut them off.
the PRTB is just another TAX. What do they offer for their 70euro? besides another cost that is ultimately passed onto already hard pressed tenants? Its certainly not invested in their website, try calling them theres nobody on the phone, try writing to them , it takes 2months to get a response. What is its purpose, ….bailing out bankers?
One thing I don’t get here.
Applicants for rent supplement have to go through a rigorous application process that is checked and double checked throughout the application process before approval, yet 17,000 landlords are in a position to receive this rent without complying with THEIR legal requirement to register with the PRTB.
What gives? Maybe Joan is right. The rental income is paying the landlords mortgages which in turn improves the banks cash flow. Just a thought!
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