A LANDLORD GROUP has accused the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) of portraying landlords in an unfairly negative light after it published two short videos on social media videos depicting fictional ‘dodgy landlord’ scenarios.

The Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) said it was disappointed the videos, which were posted by the RTB in September, remain online, despite what it described as “serious concerns” raised directly with the regulator.

“The videos, published on Facebook, present a portrayal of landlords that the IPOA believes is unfairly negative and risks damaging trust between tenants and responsible property owners,” the IPOA said in a statement today.

“As the statutory regulator, the RTB has a duty to communicate in a way that is balanced and does not undermine confidence in private landlords.”

The videos form part of the RTB’s ‘Knowledge is Key’ campaign, launched last September and aimed at students, parents and landlords.

Two of the short clips use scripted scenarios involving fictional landlords to highlight tenant rights under rental law.

In one video, a landlord character enters a property with two students inside and says: “Hi lads how are ye? I’m just popping in to collect the post. Don’t mind me, I’ll only be a few minutes,” before another character steps in to explain tenants’ rights to peaceful and exclusive occupation.

In another video, the same landlord character attempts to hand the same two students an illegal eviction notice.

“Lads, I know you have been paying rent for the last seven months, but things have changed. I’m going to need you out in the next week,” the landlord tells the students, before once again being confronted by a woman explaining notice of termination rights.

The IPOA stated that the majority of landlords comply fully with their legal obligations and play a vital role in providing housing, warning that messaging which appears to “generalise or stigmatise landlords” risks harming tenant-landlord relationships and discouraging responsible participation in the sector.

The IPOA also questioned the intent behind the videos, asking what the RTB aims to achieve with reels that it said “vilify landlords”.

“The RTB should be a neutral and trusted voice for both tenants and landlords,” IPOA Chairperson Mary Conway said.

“While we understand the RTB’s intention is to inform tenants of their rights, this should not come at the expense of fairness …the RTB has a responsibility to ensure its communications are balanced towards landlords and tenants,” Conway added.

In a separate post on LinkedIn today, the IPOA argued that public communications must be “fair and balanced”, particularly at a time when the rental sector is under significant strain.

In a statement to The Journal this evening, the RTB said the campaign was designed to inform landlords and tenants about their rights and responsibilities under rental law, address common misunderstandings about student renting and direct users to resources on its website.

The regulator said it trialled a new approach using short, social-first videos to better reach a younger student audience, with “a small number” using “light humour” to make rental issues more relatable.

However, it said the majority of content produced as part of the campaign consisted of “informative and practical explainer videos, carousels and factsheets” for both landlords and student tenants.

The RTB said the campaign delivered higher engagement and an 83% increase in traffic to its campaign landing page compared to previous student campaigns, and confirmed it had told the IPOA last October that feedback would be taken into consideration when planning future campaigns.