The Minister has outlined the broad thrust of the Bill and I am now going to focus specifically on its provisions. The Bill contains 31 sections. Sections 1, 3, 4 and 25 contain standard provisions dealing with the definitions, Short Title, commencement, collective citations and construction of the Bill. Sections 2, 9 and 23 provide for the repeal of the RPZ provisions and make consequential technical amendments. Section 5 clarifies that notices and other documents may be served or given by electronic means under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, the principal Act. Section 6 requires a landlord to serve a notice on a tenant and copy the RTB, explaining how the rent was set upon the commencement of a new tenancy created on or after 1 March 2026. Section 7 obliges a tenant to allow viewings of a dwelling where the landlord intends to sell. Section 8 provides for a new national rent control in respect of new tenancies, that is, first-time tenancies between parties, created on or after 1 March 2026. Provision is made for an annual rent increase restriction in line with the consumer price index or, if lower, 2% per annum pro rata for both new and existing tenancies. However, a restriction linked to the CPI only will apply for new apartments and student-specific accommodation that both commenced and completed development in compliance with the building control regulations on or after 10 June 2025. From 1 March 2026, a new exemption from the annual rent increase restriction is provided for the first rent setting for a new tenancy in an existing rented dwelling after a tenant ends their tenancy where the tenant breaches the tenancy obligations or where the accommodation is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant household. In respect of a new tenancy created on or after 1 March 2026, after six years, or three years in respect of student-specific accommodation during which the rent increase restriction applied to that tenancy, a landlord may reset the rent to market rent. Section 10 requires a landlord when notifying their tenant of new rent to copy the notice to the RTB. Landlords must in setting the rent have regard to a newly published register by the RTB and the most recent comparable rents for similar dwellings with regard to floor area, dwelling type, number of bedrooms and bed spaces and the BER. Contravention by a landlord of the amended section 22(2) will be an offence and improper conduct and the RTB may prosecute or sanction such contravention. Section 11 updates the definition of market rent by requiring, in setting a rent for a dwelling, regard to be given to the rent information contained in the public register. Section 12 requires a smaller landlord, that is, a landlord that is not a company and is a landlord under not more than three tenancies of dwellings, when terminating a new tenancy created on or after 1 March 2026, that is, a tenancy of minimum duration during or after its six-year term, to make certain statutory declarations. A technical amendment allows engineers to certify for the purposes of grounding a tenancy termination on substantial refurbishment or renovation that vacant possession is required for at least three weeks for the health and safety of the tenant. Section 13 provides that where a smaller landlord wishes to terminate a tenancy of minimum duration during its six-year term on the ground that the dwelling is needed for occupation by a family member, the termination can only be grounded in respect of the intended occupation of the landlord's spouse, civil partner, child, stepchild, foster child, adopted child, parent, step-parent or parent in-law. The smaller landlord must make a statutory declaration that the landlord is not a company and is a landlord under not more than three tenancies of a dwelling. Where a smaller landlord wishes to terminate a tenancy of minimum duration during its six-year term on the ground that the landlord intends to sell the dwelling, the landlord must make a statutory declaration that on the date the notice of termination is served, the landlord is not a company and is a landlord under not more than three tenancies of dwellings and that the landlord requires the sale proceeds to avoid undue financial or other hardship. Where the smaller landlord wishes to terminate a tenancy of minimum duration on ground 5, that is, substantial refurbishment or renovation, or ground 6, which is change of use, at the end of a six-year tenancy of minimum duration, a statutory declaration will be required to be made by a smaller landlord that on the date the notice of termination is served, the landlord is not a company and that the landlord is under not more than three tenancies of dwellings. A declaration and statement will also be required to be made by a smaller landlord that the notice period in the related notice of termination served during the tenancy of minimum duration expires on a specified termination date that falls on or after the expiry of a six-year tenancy of minimum duration. Section 14 restricts the termination of certain tenancies by certain landlords. During a six-year tenancy of minimum duration, a smaller landlord will be permitted to terminate a tenancy where a dwelling is needed for the occupation by the landlord of a family member restricted, as I have said, to immediate family. It will also be permitted to avoid undue financial or other hardship, that is, where the sale and proceeds are required by the landlord to provide a principal private residence for the landlord or a spouse or civil partner of the landlord where the landlord or civil partner or spouse of the landlord is legally required to discharge a debt or to make payment of more than 15% of the asking price within nine months of the termination date, including a payment to the Revenue Commissioners, for example to discharge a debt under the fair deal scheme or to make a payment in respect of a tax liability; where a personal insolvency practitioner has been appointed to the landlord, spouse or civil partner of the landlord; or where at least one of those parties is bankrupt or subject to proceedings of the declaration of bankruptcy or is arranging a debtor or has made a composition of arrangement with creditors. At the end of the six-year tenancy of minimum duration, a smaller landlord may terminate a tenancy on any of the limited grounds for termination under the principal Act, subject to making any necessary statutory declaration and statement. A larger landlord will no longer be able to use the grounds for termination under paragraphs 3, 4, 5 or 6 of the table in section 34 of the principal Act and can only gain vacant possession where the tenant voluntarily leaves or breaches their obligations or where the dwelling is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant household. Section 15 requires the landlord when terminating a non-Part 4 tenancy to state the reason for its termination. Resetting to market rent is only allowed following a termination by a tenant or by a landlord grounded on breach of tenant obligations or where the dwelling no longer suits the accommodation needs of the tenant household. Technical amendments are made, including an update to 90 days from 28 days for the period of dispute to be referred to the RTB in relation to the validity of a notice of termination where it was served for reasons other than a breach of tenancy obligations by the landlord. Sections 16 to 18, inclusive, update the requirement for the RTB to maintain the residential tenancies register and require the RTB to confirm for a tenant whether their landlord was a smaller landlord on the date of the notice being served. The published register will now be required to include the rent, the tenancy registration number, the tenancy commencement date, the number of bed spaces, the local electoral area in which the dwelling is situated, the floor area where applicable, and the BER, in addition to the number of bedrooms and the dwelling type for individual rented dwellings across the country. Section 19 requires the following particulars in the application to register a tenancy with the RTB: number of bed spaces, floor area and, where applicable, the BER. Sections 20 to 22, inclusive, provide for data sharing between the RTB and the Minister for Social Protection, the Revenue Commissioner, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Section 24 provides a contravention to section 22(2) of the principal Act relating to rent review requirement as improper conduct by a landlord which may be investigated and sanctioned by the RTB. Part 3 provides for amendments to the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 to provide that a dwelling that is or was required to be registered as a tenancy under the Residential Tenancies Act since 4 March 2022 is not eligible for the accommodation recognition payment, ARP. Also, only owners of the dwellings may apply for the ARP. I will deal with the last piece, with your indulgence, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Part 4 provides for technical amendments to maintain the pre-existing planning provisions for short-term letting following the repeal under this Bill of the RPZ legislation. This Bill provides a finely balanced provision between protecting tenants and encouraging existing landlords and also encouraging new private investment into the rental market. I commend it to the House.
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It is Waterford, which is very dependent on tourism.
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I am not nodding.
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I am sorry but, just because the Deputy is saying I am nodding, it does not mean I am. I know he is saying that for the camera but I am not nodding.
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