22 September 2022
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
One In Three Privately Rented Properties in the area around University College Cork (UCC) are not registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
For the fourth time in six years a sample check by residents living near UCC, shows that over one in three of privately rented properties in the area, appear not to be registered by landlords with the RTB.
The most recent sample check of 269 privately rented properties taken in September 2022 show that 99 properties appear not to be registered with the RTB.
File photo of logo to illustrate story: The Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Resident Association represent an area which is close to UCC
Of these 99 unregistered properties, 67 were first highlighted to the RTB in 2017 (five years ago).
Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Residents Association raised their concerns again in February of this year when they wrote to Mr Niall Byrne, Director of RTB and to the Board of Management of the RTB. Seven months later we are still waiting on a promised response, despite the RTB replying that it takes the non registration of properties seriously.
The Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Residents Association is aware that the non registration of properties was raised by Deputy Colm Burke at the Dáil Public Accounts Committee on 24th February this year. Legislation in 2014 requires all privately rented properties to be registered with the RTB. The Association said that it is their experience as residents and also given the number of high profile individuals not registering their properties, recently highlighted in the media, that it is apparent that there is no appetite for enforcement by the RTB.
An Taoiseach, Mícheál Martin, when questioned by the media earlier this year about the non registration of rented properties, and the lack of enforcement in that regard by the RTB, replied that “it was not an issue of resources available to the RTB”.
Chairperson of the Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Resident Association, Catherine Clancy said: “The non-compliance by landlords on their statutory requirement has serious consequences for tenants’ security of tenure, neighbours and the local community. This results in a closed door or delays in resolving issues and with the RTB failing in their duty of care to us as a third party. The residents association believes the consistency of non registration of privately rented properties over many years requires a complete system change within the RTB if it is to fulfil its legal obligations, being the body that’s core function is to provide definitive data on the rental sector. A system that relies on landlords to self regulate is not working for us as residents and in our experience is not fit for purpose.”