High rate of rule breaches found in private property lets

Four out of every five properties inspected by Westmeath County Council for the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) this year to date were found to be non-compliant with regulations.

Figures provided to members of Westmeath County Council in the executive’s monthly management report last week revealed that 441 dwellings have been inspected to date and 352 non-compliance letters have been issued.

Reacting to the figures, Councillor Paul Hogan asked why it was that despite this figure, no improvement notices have been issued.

Responding, director of services Jackie Finney said the council has upped the number of private rented dwelling inspections it has been undertaking.

“We do issue letters anywhere there's non-compliance or where there's issues that need to be improved,” she said.

However, she added, the council has not yet gone down the route of issuing statutory improvement notices.

“What we are finding is that the non-compliance letters that are issued and the engagement with the private landlords actually reaps the rewards that we need to bring the properties up to standard,” she said.

“There is a concern about issuing statutory notice that if we do set in train a process it can result in the tenants then having to move out of the properties and just given the pressure on private rented housing and on people finding housing we would rather deal with the householders or deal with landlords directly and try and get them to improve on the basis of the letters,” she said.