Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Household Charge: Councils granted access to rented accommodation database

Phil Hogan has cleared the way for the PRTB, which governs tenancies in Ireland, to share data with local councils.

LOCAL COUNCILS have been granted clearance to access the databases of the national authority in charge of regulating tenancies.

The move marks the latest development in the attempts of city and county councils to identify households on which the €100 household charge has not been paid.

Environment minister Phil Hogan has signed an order permitting councils to ask the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) for their databases of properties across the country.

Property owners who rent out their premises are legally required to register with the PRTB.

Securing access to its database may assist councils in compiling authoritative lists of the properties in their jurisdictions.

It is not clear, however, how much assistance the move will offer – because PRTB databases showing comprehensive lists of the rental properties in each county are already available to the public, and may in fact already have been in use by many councils.

Each individual council is responsible for compiling the list of homes in their area, and to pursue whatever enforcement measures they deem necessary to encourage payment.

Some councils have issued summonses to householders whose charge has not been paid.

Households which pay the charge now would be required to pay €131.24 as a result of interest and late payment fees. Households which have a charge outstanding on them cannot be sold until the charge has been cleared.

Read: Dáil approves introduction of property tax in late-night vote

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
40 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute MonaghanRichie
    Favourite MonaghanRichie
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 7:32 AM

    Hogan has to be thee most Arrogant Obnoxious Politician this Country has ever known what a hateful individual.

    278
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Billy Treacy
    Favourite Billy Treacy
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 9:31 AM

    Michael Mc Dowell (remember him)? He’d have to be up there too!

    60
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Arbitrasure
    Favourite Arbitrasure
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:29 AM

    Because he is collecting a tax?

    13
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute _doesnotcompute
    Favourite _doesnotcompute
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:59 AM

    Michael McDowell and Brian Clowen were just as obnoxious and arrogant, if not worse.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damien Ruth
    Favourite Damien Ruth
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 7:45 AM

    Who does he want to pay, the owner of the property or the person renting it?? What if the owner has had to leave the country for work, are they still expected to pay?? What are the repercussions in a situation of the owner living in Oz and not even being aware of the charge?? Genuine questions!

    89
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute jerry slattery
    Favourite jerry slattery
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:47 AM

    if he is tune enough to collect his rent . He needs to also be aware of his responsibilitys .News from home good or bad has never been more accessible

    50
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anne Gardener
    Favourite Anne Gardener
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:57 AM

    Damien irrespective of where you live if these property owners havn’t registered for the household charge they are liable for it. Not only that but if they havn’t registered and paid their NPPR they will have to pay the back pay and fines which are substantial. It doesn’t matter if they were aware of the charge or not.

    25
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damien Ruth
    Favourite Damien Ruth
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:31 AM

    Ok, so how would you feel, if you bought a house at a young age because you were told at the time by the banks that it was a great investment and your government who said it was now or never, at an over the top price! A few years down the line you’ve been forced to immigrate, (btw immigration not a holiday), your government has forgotten about you and has no interest in stimulating job growth so that you can move back home, the banks have got off scot free by using the tax’s you paid during the good times!! Your at the other end of the world because your willing to work and the so called “investment” of the boom years is now a massive rope around your neck! Anyone in this situation is more than likely going give the government a big F@@K U and I wouldn’t blame them! Not only has the government ideally stood by a watched these people be forced to leave but now they want them to pay for services they may never be able to avail of and at the same time not give them a vote!! That’s the reality of it!!

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Mc Carthy
    Favourite Mary Mc Carthy
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:43 AM

    Welcome to the new Ireland Damien !

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Creamy Hamstrings
    Favourite Creamy Hamstrings
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 7:59 AM

    I wouldn’t be too worried. They’re a bunch of failed school teachers who will no doubt balls this one up as well.

    83
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael J Collins
    Favourite Michael J Collins
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:09 AM

    Creamy
    I didn’t know they employed school teachers in the Revenue Commissioners!
    Watch the statistics for non payment go through a hole in the floor as the dissenters trip over themselves to be compliant and polite and “sorry sir /madam, my dog ate the form letters of fawning “.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dermot Purcell
    Favourite Dermot Purcell
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:46 AM

    Five people held up the investigation refusing to hand over codes for phones in ANGLO IRISH for years and one swift move of the pen for the small people and bingo we will get them to pay this bondholder and banker tax.

    63
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mick B
    Favourite Mick B
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 9:03 AM

    “Phil Hogan has cleared the way for the PRTB, which governs tenancies in Ireland, to share data with local councils”…

    Out of curiosity, would this be a breach of the Data Protection Act?

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Mac
    Favourite Martin Mac
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 9:19 AM

    Yes it is.

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute _doesnotcompute
    Favourite _doesnotcompute
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:57 AM

    No it’s not – Hogan would have gotten legal advice prior to doing this. If you believe he breached the Data Protection Act, take a case against him.

    Most of the info was in the public domain anyway, as the article says.

    7
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Al S Macthomais
    Favourite Al S Macthomais
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 12:09 PM

    Data protection to hitler hogan is only available to powerful and wealthy and the political establishment doing their friends in the troika a favour.data protection is not for the ordinary joe public to avail of such services.will the so called insolvency bill be denied to people who can’t or won’t pay these new house taxes as announced on the same day.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute M Bowe
    Favourite M Bowe
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 7:13 PM

    Of course not. But naming those who had their penalty points written off are of course protected by data protection act.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Amanda Burns Ring
    Favourite Amanda Burns Ring
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 7:32 AM

    It’s €129 at the moment??!?!?

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute vv7k7Z3c
    Favourite vv7k7Z3c
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:30 AM

    It shouldn’t be! There’s 1 per cent interest for each month that the charge is unpaid – but that doesn’t just mean €1 per month. It’s €101 after one month, €102.01 (which is 101% of €101) after two, €103.03 after three months… and then €109.37 after nine months.

    Then on top of that there’s a 20% late payment charge, and 20% of €109.37 is €21.87. Therefore the total charge is €131.24.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute fotocrat™
    Favourite fotocrat™
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:33 AM

    Will the same councils pay the surcharge on what they already owe on council houses!!!!

    30
    See 8 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Slap'stick Ireland
    Favourite Slap'stick Ireland
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:23 AM

    Also its important to highlight, If you don’t register, you don’t have to pay anything. No signature No law broken.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 10:44 AM

    “If you don’t register, you don’t have to pay anything.”

    Not so.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Slap'stick Ireland
    Favourite Slap'stick Ireland
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 11:35 AM

    Damocles, are you saying you can be brought to court for ‘not signing a contract’ ha ha pull the other one! ha ha ha.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 11:39 AM
    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Slap'stick Ireland
    Favourite Slap'stick Ireland
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 11:57 AM

    Read this. Free will of the people, choice, We are not obliged to sign-up to anything if we so wish Not to do so. People should know their rights. The household charge is simply a campaign run on fear & miss information.

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 12:28 PM

    You can’t just opt out of taxation.

    I don’t really fancy paying income tax.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Slap'stick Ireland
    Favourite Slap'stick Ireland
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 1:22 PM

    Its not ‘a tax’ we are talking about here, its ‘A CHARGE’ Household Charge, big difference don’t you think?

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 2:14 PM

    Semantics.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute MichealO'Keeffe
    Favourite MichealO'Keeffe
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 9:57 AM

    Do they really think all landlord are register with the PRTB???

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul McGovern
    Favourite Paul McGovern
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 7:50 AM

    If it’s a rental property then the owner has to pay the €200 second home charge that has been in place for a few years now surely? Not the €100 Household Charge.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Elizabeth Gibson
    Favourite Elizabeth Gibson
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:09 AM

    It doesn’t matter if you are already paying the €200 NPPR charge you will also have to pay the €100 household charge. And the charges attach to the property so the property cannot be sold unless evidence of these charges is produced.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Steve McNally
    Favourite Steve McNally
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:34 AM

    Just cos you rent out a house doesn’t mean you own a second home

    43
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute jerry slattery
    Favourite jerry slattery
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:48 AM

    sadly he has to pay both

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Elizabeth Gibson
    Favourite Elizabeth Gibson
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:49 AM

    unfortunately Steve that does not matter. If you own a property and it is not your principal residence you are still liable for the NPPR (non principal private residence) charge, it doesnt matter if you are living and paying rent in another property.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Mulligan
    Favourite Tom Mulligan
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 8:57 AM

    yes Paul both charges have to be paid on a second home amazing how quick they can change things to suit themselves.200 for non private residential and 100 for residential surely you can only be one or the other

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Mallon
    Favourite Paul Mallon
    Report
    Dec 21st 2012, 9:55 AM

    If you have rented your home as a result of the current banking f**kup then the house is still considered your primary residence.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anne Gardener
    Favourite Anne Gardener
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 9:05 AM

    I’d assume anyone who’s registered with PRTB will be also registered for NPPR and that list has already been used by the councils. The PRTB lists will have information on the tenants though which will be needed for the new Broadcast charge and any other random charges that will be applied to the tenants and not the landlord.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Natalie May
    Favourite Natalie May
    Report
    Dec 20th 2012, 12:01 PM

    All law abiding landlords are registered with the prtb and they are the ones who will be pursued while those who have not registered get away scott free?? It’s a joke as usual.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fabrice
    Favourite Fabrice
    Report
    Dec 21st 2012, 1:04 AM

    My property tax in France is 650.00 euros for 1 bedroom appartment. 100 euros in Ireland that’s not bad..

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ferdia O'Brien
    Favourite Ferdia O'Brien
    Report
    Dec 21st 2012, 11:36 AM

    Your healthcare is also 0 euro per GP visit. Apples and Oranges.

    5
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.