Landlords could face €30k fine for breaching student housing rules

LANDLORDS could face hefty fines if they fail to abide by new rules in relation to student housing.

The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill will allow the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), the independent regulatory body for the rental sector, to impose fines of up to €30,000 on accommodation providers if they insist on charging students rent outside of the academic year. The legislation allows for a maximum of 41-week leases on student-specific accommodation. It also enables students to serve a 28-day notice of termination any time between 1 May and 1 October, protecting them from having to pay for accommodation during the summer months. Landlords are now prevented from seeking more than a month’s deposit to secure tenancy.

Welcoming its introduction, local Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnane O’Connor said: “This ban on students being forced to pay for 51-week leases for student accommodation is necessary because providers have increasingly been forcing students to pay for housing during the summer. This creates unnecessary hardship and additional costs for students and their families.” 

Mark Dunne, president of SETU Students’ Union, told The Nationalist that the legislation is a “huge breakthrough” for students around the country, including those who choose Carlow as their study destination.

Mark said: “It’s not fair to charge students for 51 weeks when they are not there for that duration. At SETU, we have two 12-week semesters, broken by mid-terms in the middle. The Union of Students of Ireland and local students’ unions have lobbied for years here. Students are seen as cash cows, so for landlords to face penalties that can be imposed by the RTB is definitely welcome.”