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THE HEAD OF a landlords group with several hundred members has accused Irish Water of being “all over the place” with their advice on tenants’ security deposits, in the wake of last week’s announcement from the Government on the issue.
Members are being told different things “depending on who they get on the phone,” according to Fintan McNamara of the Residential Landlords Association.
The Cabinet last week announced a proposal to introduce laws obliging landlords to withhold deposits from renters as they leave a property, until proof of payment to Irish Water is provided.
Landlords, who had been lobbying against the move, decried it at the time as “outrageous” and said they were being forced into the role of being debt collectors for Irish Water.
Some of our members have been in contact with Irish Water and they’ve been told – on one hand, depends who they’re talking to – ‘you won’t have to worry, the deposit won’t come into play at all’ or else they’re being told ‘no, it will’.
“They’re being told different things depending on who they get,” McNamara said.
The Government’s planned Water Services Bill 2015 will govern a number of areas not included in last year’s contentious Water Services Act. Proposals to deduct outstanding charges from the wages or social welfare payments of non-payers were also announced by ministers last week, in a well-flagged move.
McNamara - who said he would seek a fresh meeting with Environment Minister Alan Kelly once more details of the plan were available – warned that some of his members may have to double or even quadruple deposit amounts.
“The standard deposit in Dublin for someone on rent supplement for example would be €520,” he said – pointing out that if someone didn’t pay their water charges for four years, the amount they owed the utility would be far in excess of that amount.
The deposit would have to double. And in rural areas – they’re an awful lot less – they would have to treble or quadruple.
Noting that Irish Water, in meetings, had been “quite sympathetic – they recognised that there would be problems, that there would be other calls on the deposit: arrears of rent, possible damage to property” he reiterated that landlords should not be turned into debt collectors.
Regarding the advice being given to landlords with tenants due to leave their properties, a spokesperson for Irish Water said callers were being told new legislation on the area was being worked on, and referred our enquiry to the Department of the Environment. A spokesperson for the Department said the announcement last week had been a proposal only, and that the matter would be covered by the new water charge laws.
PTRB?
Speaking last week, Children’s Minister James Reilly said that landlords may have misunderstood the Government’s initial announcement – and stressed that landlords would only be expected to hold onto deposits as a temporary measure, until the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) takes over responsibility for deposit protection.
However – it’s also unclear when that move will take effect. A spokesperson for the PRTB sent the following statement:
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 is currently before the Oireachtas. As the Bill has yet to be enacted, we do not have the commencement order dates of the various sections of the Bill.
As they await further advice, landlords are holding off on increasing deposits for now, McNamara said. “We’ll wait and see. Tenants are already hard-pressed.”
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A let them eat cake moment by Humphreys
“Homes are not for HOUSING people, if everyone could have a home then they’d have NO VALUE” – HH.
“The 32,000 hidden HOMELESS people? Someone please think of the HOUSE PRICES for crying out loud” – HH.
“Things could always be worse” says Heather Humphreys.
Things could always be better too or have we forgotten?
I was reading that an 18 year old caught driving at 160 kph didn’t even get a driving ban. The judicial system in this country is a joke. Why bother obeying any traffic laws. A small fine will see you OK. I honestly don’t know how judges completely overlook the seriousness of an offence when a solicitor who is unsworn, can give evidence on behalf of his client, which doesn’t have to be ( and usually isn’t) true.
@Patrick MC Dermott: What do you expect from Judges who have been appointed by Politican’s your old buddies in FFG.
@David Murray: They are not my buddies! I disown evey one of them.
What do they expect with the lack of rental accommodation when they refuse to acknowledge the elephant in the room?
Air BnB.
Keep voting ffg and all the issues will remain, you may think it’s OK because we own property,, but greed and fear is what ffg are based on , be brave the next time you vote add a little spice in your life
Those people in sleeping bags in doorways are not homeless, theyre just urban camping or else a doorway is categorised as a home maybe? Thanks HH, there was me thinking they were homeless. So no homeless crisis,problem solved .
Stephen donnelly really starting to look like a villain in a marvel movie….
@bruce banner: Haha…a cone headed Thanos.
No, they are not living on the streets but euphemistically “living on hard concrete” seriously.
That’s great was will they raise they’re children in bedsits so while working 40 hour weeks to no avail. The solution is bring more people into the country that’ll solve it definitely help with demand anyway.
Out with the blueshrts.
She needs to start looking after our own homeless not other countries who come here
Should she not mention that the numbers in Emergency Accommodation is approximately 45,000 people when you include 30,000 IPAS applicants.
Arguably one of the biggest decisions affecting Ireland is the EU Migration Pact and amazingly barely a whisper of news about it here on The Journal, why is that I wonder, it’s high relevant to this news story for example.
HH is correct and just stating facts, many people and families are declared homeless and accomadated in hotels and other places at the States expense. In fact many hope to jump the housing que by declaring homelessness. As for those actually on the streets, it’s not everybody that is homeless.
She’s right though
@Dave F Sov: People don’t seem to read the article, or if they do they ignore what was actually said and replace it with what they want to see. She was asked about homelessness and the amount of families that are homeless, and it’s a disgrace alright. But she quite rightly pointed out that homeless doesn’t necessarily mean on the street. ALL homeless people are offered emergency accommodation, and families with kids are prioritised. When you read the comment sections here and elsewhere you’d think they were all sleeping on the street. Again the homeless situation is a disgrace in Ireland but getting angry about fake things is a waste of time and energy. Focus on the facts.
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: but they are on the streets. A lot of families are pushed out of b&bs , hostels etc during the day, only being allowed to sleep there in the evening.
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: yes indeed she should.focus on the facts
This same woman claimed there was now over 2000 extra Garda on the streets recently
When Ben Scallan drilled down into it ,she was beaten into submission of the paltry figure of just 16 ACTUAL extra Garda
So yes focus on the FACTS INDEED
@Aidan Butler: they are not sleeping on the streets. That’s what I said.
@Chris: you sure that was her and not Helen McEntee? Either way nothing at all to do with this story or my comment
@Gearoid MacEachaidh: But they are on the streets. Imagine being up all night with a sick child & then turfed out to shelter from the rain all day until you are all allowed back inside your emergency accomodation.
This one is absolutely disgusting.This one would love to hang poor people.
,i live alone have no family,worked until i got a virus in 2019,went into the brain,ive ended up wit 5 autoimmunes GP and Consultant wrote letter 4new foam mattress and a recliner chair,I applied,give all my details,I pay the credit union 75 a week,I can’t survive since this inflation,I had 1300 in the credit union,and 214 in my bank account,I put in a price for 500 for a mattress,I could have went for a lot dearer,the recliner was 350,I got 500 put into my account,I didn’t get the letter until the day after,I ordered the mattress,in the letter 150 for a mattress and 350 for the chair,so I appealed it,told the 1300,i can buy 1,car insurance 590 last week,the house needs work doing,she saying once of payment to help,it would have all went into house,I’d ave receipts,did anyone get it
Weres the orange man John Mulligan.He should be in here backing the blueshrts up.I think his slipping up
Give that bass drum plenty of a pounding passing the chapel there pat Hazzard.
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