CoCo Inspections of all Rented Properties: S.I. No. 534 - Landlords Obligations?

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twofor1

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http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2009/en/si/0462.html
S.I. No. 462/2009 — Housing (Standards For Rented Houses)(Amendment) Regulations 2009

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2010/en/si/0357.html
S.I. No. 357/2010 — Housing (Rent Books) (Amendment) Regulations 2010.


Got a letter recently from Louth County Council advising me the above regulations are in force and reminding me of Landlords obligations to meet certain standards under a number of headings;

Structural Condition
Sanitary Facilities
Heating facilities
Food preparation, storage and laundry
Ventilation
Lighting
Fire safety
Refuse facilities
Electricity and gas

They have commenced an inspection programme and intend to visit all properties over the coming months to ensure these standards are met along with Rent Book Regulations.

I would welcome any inspection.

I would hope any shortcomings found would be rigorously followed up on, but I suspect a lot of non compliant properties are not registered with the PRTB which presumably is where they got my details from, and as such the Councils will not be aware of their existence to carry out these inspections.

Have Landlords from other County Councils received this letter ?

Hopefully it is nationwide.
 
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They may also get details from those that are in receipt of rent allowance. These places may not be registered either.
 
I had a visit from a health and safety person from DCC in June (in a place i used to rent). The woman had nearly two a4 pages of stuff wrong with the place when she left and i think 20/30 photos. All of which was reported back to the landlord and he was told to make the necessary repairs within a specified time period. He never made the repairs and the house has been rented out again since then.
 
niceoneted said:
They may also get details from those that are in receipt of rent allowance. These places may not be registered either.
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That is correct, all people claiming rent allowance must submit the landlord's details.

I think it is a great idea that inspections are being carried out, most landlords are fine but it is the unscrupulous ones that will be weeded out through this initiative.
 
This is interesting.
Is there any plans for these inspectors to visit private residences not being rented out?
 
Marietta said:
That is correct, all people claiming rent allowance must submit the landlord's details.
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Some have other reasons why they do not accept rent allowance, but I wonder how many of the ads with ‘’Rent Allowance Not Accepted’’ on Daft can simply be attributed to Landlords who do not wish to be brought to the attention of Revenue, PRTB and now County Councils.
 
Any chance Louth County Council would examine their own properties first to make sure that they are in compliance with regulations ?
 
twofor1 said:
Some have other reasons why they do not accept rent allowance, but I wonder how many of the ads with ‘’Rent Allowance Not Accepted’’ on Daft can simply be attributed to Landlords who do not wish to be brought to the attention of Revenue, PRTB and now County Councils.
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It would be a foolish landlord who would assume that the tenant is not going to claim the rental tax allowance and give the landlord's details to Revenue
 
I'm registered with PRTB, but feel that if I have to carry out a BER on the house I might come in for some hefty costs. Is this part of the County Council check?
 
You have to do the test. You don't have to do anything else. I've yet to be asked about it.
 
I can only guess that many cash tenants do not claim this allowance or if they do, revenue does not connect it to this evasive landlord.

I personally know one Landlord whose properties would fail any inspection on numerous grounds, who insists on collecting cash weekly, never heard of the PRTB, does not give rent books, receipts, his details, nothing.

If you want you can stay and pay cash weekly, if you don’t like it, you can leave.

He generally has a good relationship with his tenants, and on occasion’s even drinks with them.

To date anyway, after many years its still business as usual.

I believe there are many such Landlords and for their own reasons there are also many agreeable cash tenants.
 
twofor1 said:
If you want you can stay and pay cash weekly, if you don’t like it, you can leave.
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Tenants can claim the tax relief after they've left that accommodation, so they have nothing to lose. I'm sure there are some tenants who won't, but it would be a foolish landlords who assumes that NO tenant will ever claim the relief.
 
I’m not disagreeing with you,

Some will claim, but will revenue connected it with an evasive landlord.

Could he just declare a portion of his rental income, I suspect he only accepts cash for a reason.

Can a cash tenant claim this relief without having receipts rent book etc ?

In the case I have outlined anyway, this evasive Landlord is still getting away with it.
 
As a landlord with very good relationship with my tenant 'she only has to ask and she gets' I got one of these letters from Limerick Co. Co. to say they have visited my apartment and said I had to provide a fire blanket and window latch was a bit loose - no problem - but I feel it is a waste of money someone is employed to do this I have no problem if they make themselves available to tenants who have a problem and landlord wont address it but he was more of a hassle to my tenant making herself available to be there for him and for me to enter to do a job she didn't want done. Is it a case another job for the boys!! I am often amazed to hear tenants giving out about the conditions they have to live in surely in todays market nobody has to put up with that and you now are the Ruler I am so glad to get a good tenant I will make sure they are happy.
 
Hans said:
As a landlord with very good relationship with my tenant 'she only has to ask and she gets' I got one of these letters from Limerick Co. Co. to say they have visited my apartment and said I had to provide a fire blanket and window latch was a bit loose - no problem - but I feel it is a waste of money someone is employed to do this I have no problem if they make themselves available to tenants who have a problem and landlord wont address it but he was more of a hassle to my tenant making herself available to be there for him and for me to enter to do a job she didn't want done. Is it a case another job for the boys!! I am often amazed to hear tenants giving out about the conditions they have to live in surely in todays market nobody has to put up with that and you now are the Ruler I am so glad to get a good tenant I will make sure they are happy.
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If a fire happened in the property (obviously a fire small enough to be dealt with with a fire blanket) and there was damage done to the property I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune.

It is a landlord's obligation to provide fire safety equipment. End of.
 
I don't have the text on it but a place I lived in two years ago had a section in the lease dedicated to the landlord's legal responsibility to provide fire safety equipment.

Also, when a rep from dcc called to a house I lived in earlier this year to do an inspection, one of the things she commented on was the lack of any fire safety equipment and the landlord's legal responsibility to provide same, she specifically mentioned that smoke alarms and a fire blanket were compulsory.
 
If a fire happened in the property (obviously a fire small enough to be dealt with with a fire blanket) and there was damage done to the property I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune.

It is a landlord's obligation to provide fire safety equipment. End of.
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How many private residences (not rented out) have a fire blanket?
Are these government inspectors going to visit every home in the country?
 
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