But there wouldn't be any arrears, quite the opposite if payment was made early.
Its a common enough practice to encourage settlement so why couldn't it be used to reward good tenants. If a similar term was included in a lease agreement is there anything in the rta legislation that would make it illegal?
If the tenant paid early they get a small reduction. If the rent is paid on the due date, no discount. If the rent is late, then a late payment fee is applied. So it is in the tenants interest to pay early to avail of the lower rent and a landlord's interest to be paid.
If the initial rent was set at market rate and all rent reviews were in compliance with regulations, correct % and notified to RTB, how could they have an issue?
So landlords would maintain the rent threshold for any future tenancies or sale, at the same time recognising and rewarding a current tenant who keeps to the contract terms, rather than the current situation, where rents are not increased for valued tenants and then the rules change and a landlord is forever stuck at below market rates.