Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
774 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the register of landlords will be completed; the progress that has been made by local authorities in compiling these lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11249/04]
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Under the Housing (Registration of Rented Houses) Regulations 1996, it is the responsibility of landlords to register with the local authority and pay the appropriate fee. Information relating to registration of houses and landlords, based on returns from local authorities, is provided in the quarterly and annual housing statistics bulletins published by my Department. The most recent information is contained in the September quarter 2003 bulletin, which indicated that an overall total of 23,863 units were registered with local authorities by 17,058 landlords on 30 September 2003.
The Residential Tenancies Bill 2003, which is currently before Dáil Éireann, provides that landlords must register details of their tenancies with a private residential tenancies board and provides, accordingly, for the repeal of the 1996 regulations. This board will proactively pursue compliance and unregistered accommodation will come to notice when tenants bring cases to it. Landlords must be registered in order to avail of the board's dispute resolution service, a double fee will apply to late registrations and penalties for convictions are being increased.
