The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2012 provides for the extension of the provisions of the Act to the not-for-profit approved housing body sector, which will bring an estimated 20,000 additional tenancies within the remit of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). The Board will be re-named, as the word ‘Private’ will be removed from its name. This Bill represents a significant further evolutionary step in the development of the rented sector and underpins the concept of tenure neutrality that was outlined in the Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement .
The Bill was published on 19 July 2012 and was passed by the Dáil in July 2013. Second Stage in the Seanad is due to commence on 24 September 2013. I hope that the Bill will be enacted by early 2014 and I intend that its various provisions will be commenced in the course of 2014.