Damning report on private rented sector

RISING demand for rental properties and local authority failings are forcing desperate families to live in substandard accommodation according to a new report from housing charity Threshold.

The report, published last week, shows over 1,600 people contacted Threshold last year over poor standards in private rented homes.

The most common problems included broken or ineffective heating systems, poor ventilation and dampness.

In some cases, landlords were refusing to carry out repairs, and many properties had been neglected completely since the onset of the recession.

Chairperson of Threshold, Senator Aideen Hayden, said substandard accommodation was an emerging trend in the private rented sector.

“This problem is getting worse because of the current economic situation, with many landlords claiming they can’t afford to carry out repairs,

? she added.

“There’s now a severe shortage of quality properties to let, and families on lower incomes are being forced to move into substandard accommodation because it’s all they can afford.

?

Senator Hayden also pointed the finger of blame for poor standards across the rental market at local authorities. By law, county and city councils are obliged to inspect rented properties to enforce minimum standards legislation.

However, a survey conducted by Threshold last year showed almost 40 per cent of local authorities were unaware of their responsibilities in this regard.

“The problem with substandard accommodation isn’t due to a lack of legislation,

? Senator Hayden continued.

“On the contrary, great strides have been made in regulating standards in the private rented sector in recent years, most notably the abolition of the traditional bedsit since February 2013.

?

However, Sinn Fein Housing spokesperson and Dublin North West TD, Dessie Ellis, believes the Government needs to act to protect tenants in private rented accommodation.

“The Government has made claims it will help protect rental tenants but nothing has happened yet,

? he said.

“The mistreatment of private rental tenants by unscrupulous landlords is nothing new but it has been only made worse by a shortage of accommodation in recent years.

“Rents have gone up as the market swelled and conditions have gotten worse with local authorities reporting this year that the vast majority of properties inspected in recent blitzes have not met basic standards.

?

Other issues highlighted in Threshold’s annual report include the impact of Rent Supplement cuts and illegal deposit retention.

Chief Executive of Threshold, Bob Jordan, said deposit retention was the number one reason why people got in touch with the housing charity last year.

“A typical deposit of e800 represents the life savings of a low-income family and its loss can put them at risk of homelessness,

? he added.

“Some landlords routinely withhold deposits, or allege that the tenant has damaged the property when this is clearly not the case.

“The problem of deposit retention has become more acute in recent years because many landlords themselves are facing financial difficulties and simply don’t have the money to hand back. The current system whereby the landlord pockets the deposit at the beginning of the tenancy simply does not work.

?

Mr Jordan said private renters are more vulnerable now than at any other stage during the recession.

“You have growing demand for properties, rising rents and accommodation shortages, the arrears crisis in relation to buy-to-let mortgages and the cutbacks in recent years in rent supplement levels,

? he explained.

“All of this means lower-income families are struggling to find and hold on to decent homes, and many face the terrifying prospect of homelessness.

?

Deputy Ellis has urged the Government to act on the deposit retention issue and introduce a scheme where deposits are not directly held by landlords.

“Minister Jan O’Sullivan has said she will introduce a deposit retention scheme to stop unlawful withholding of deposits which is all too common,

? he said.

“This is needed and the legislation is there but nothing has been done yet. I submitted an amendment to the recent Residential Tenancy Bill which would have put a scheme in place but it was rejected by the Government. We can’t drag our heels any longer.

?