Sir, - I agree with Camilla Fitzsimons (April 19th) about the plight of private tenants. While local authorities have been slow to register landlords, their task is hampered by ongoing litigation. My Labour colleague, Eamonn Gilmore TD, Spokesman on the Environment, is pressing for a speedy conclusion to this court action. While Dublin Corporation has registered 9,500 rented properties in the city area, because of the legal difficulties mentioned it has had to delay court action to register many more, whose owners are resisting.
In the meantime I would like to invite private tenants in the Dublin 6 area of Dublin, which I represent on the city council, to forward me details of their landlords for the purpose of registration. Those landlords will then be obliged to comply with basic standards of accommodation and to provide rent books.
Unfortunately, landlord registration does not give tenants security of tenure. We are out of step with our EU partners in this regard. For example, in Amsterdam, tenants cannot be evicted in the winter months. To address this deficiency, I am proposing a strategic plan for the private rented sector to the Labour Party conference in Tralee on May 1st. I believe that tax incentives should be given to providers of rented accommodation, in return for which tenants should have long-term security and the right of renewal at a fair rent. I also believe that this would encourage building societies and pension funds to provide new dwellings for renting, thus easing the shortage in this sector. - Yours, etc., Cllr Mary Freehill,
Grove Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6.