Private Rented Accommodation.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2006

Wednesday, 27 September 2006

Questions (1435)

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

1500 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his attention has been drawn to the fact that landlords who engage the services of letting agents or auctioneers to rent their property have given instructions not to reveal contact details or to communicate to the Private Residential Tenancy Board and the local authority that they are engaged in commercial activities on behalf of a landlord; if he will introduce regulations to ensure that all letting agencies or agents acting on behalf of landlords be required to inform the PRTB of the name, address and phone number of the landlord and make this information available to a person living in an adjoining property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28992/06]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. N. Ahern)

In accordance with section 136(b) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, an application for registration is required to contain the name, address for correspondence and PPSN (if any) of the landlord. This statutory obligation applies regardless of whether the application to register is made by the landlord him/herself or is made by an agent of the landlord. In relation to making such information available to persons living in adjoining properties, section 77(3) of the Residential Tenancies Act enables a person who is directly and adversely affected by a landlord's failure to enforce tenant obligations to obtain the name and address of the landlord concerned, or that of his authorised agent, from the Private Residential Tenancy Board. This existing statutory power is intended to address concerns such as those mentioned in the Question.