€30,000 fine for illegally raising rent in pressure zones
Private landlords who are found illegally increasing their rents above pressure zone limits are to face fines and costs of up to €30,000, under plans being considered by the Cabinet today.
The Irish Examiner has confirmed that Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy will seek ministerial approval to provide powers to the Residential Tenancies Board to investigate and sanction landlords who engage in improper conduct including non-compliance with the rent increase restriction in Rent Pressure Zones.
Under the plans, a sanction could cost a landlord in breach up to €30,000 and a written caution (a financial penalty of up to €15,000; payment of Residential Tenancies Board investigation costs of up to €15,000).
The proposal will seek to also make it a criminal offence for landlords to implement rent increases that contravene the law, that do not adhere to new definitions of a substantial change.
There are also sanctions for those who fail to co-operate with an investigation, or fail to register and update tenancies with the Residential Tenancies Board.
The new powers will allow the board to initiate an investigation without the need for a complaint being made and there will also be a significant extension of notice periods for tenancy terminations by landlords.
For example, those in tenancy for up to a year will now need to be given 90 days’ notice to quit by their landlords, while those in place for five years will have to be given 140 days notice. The new powers will require the annual registration of tenancies with the board.
The new bill will also include an amendment to allow the board to publish rental amounts in its register.
