asked the Minister for Justice what is the extent to which a ground landlord can interfere with alterations made to the interior of a house.
38.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Interior Alterations in Houses.
37.
asked the Minister for Justice whether he is aware that ground landlords in Dublin frequently cause serious financial loss to the owners of houses through delays and difficulties in passing plans for purely interior alterations in these houses; and whether, in view of the fact that many of these are absentee landlords who contribute nothing either to the upkeep of their property or to the good of the Irish economy, he will take steps to prevent these unwarranted and costly delays by ground landlords in these matters.
39.
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that in a case (name supplied) of an elderly lady, who was dependent for her livelihood on the selling price of a house owned by her, delays and unwarranted interference on the part of an absentee ground landlord caused the person in question to lose approximately £3,000 of the selling price of her house; and if he will have the actions of the ground landlord in this case thoroughly investigated either by his Department or by the Commission on Ground Rents, with a view to allowing the lady concerned compensation to be paid by the ground landlord for her loss.
Nílim chun freagra a thabhairt ar na ceisteanna seo i nGaeilge mar tá siad ró-theicniciúil. Le do chead, a Cheann Comhairle, táim chun Ceisteanna 37, 38 agus 39 a thógaint le chéile.
The respective rights of the ground landlord and lessee depend on the terms of the particular lease. However, under the Landlord and Tenant Act, 1931, the ground landlord may not unreasonably withhold his consent to a change of user or to improvements. In relation to a change of user, section 57 of the Act provides that the landlord may not charge a fine or an increased rent, other than his reasonable expenses, except where structural alterations are involved.
In the case of improvements, section 58 provides that the landlord is not precluded from requiring the payment of his reasonable expenses in connection with his consent. Disputes between the parties concerning these rights are a matter for civil proceedings between them and not for official investigation.
Apart from the complaint referred to by the Deputy, I have had no representations on this particular aspect of landlord and tenant relations.