Changes to the national rent control system are due to come into force at the start of March. These are arguably the centrepiece of Government plans to try to boost the housing market. But will the system needed to make it work be ready for March 1st?
If you ask the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (Ipav), it seems highly unlikely.
“A miracle will be required for the Residential Tenancies Board to be ready to implement the Government’s new rent control measures” by that time, the institute said.
“Significant logistical and IT resources will be required to implement the revised public register” needed to put the reforms into action, it said.
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That searchable register will have much more granular data on homes being rented out, including things like the number of bedrooms, its energy rating, floor area and the rent payable.
That all sounds like very useful information to have but, seeing as that data will be provided by landlords and agents, Ipav raises the very real question of whether the data will be accurate.
If it isn’t, questions will inevitably emerge around the usefulness of the database. After all, it will be difficult to set rent fairly if a two bedroom flat is listed as a one bedroom home or if the square footage is incorrect.
“Realistically, therefore, we believe a minimum six-month lead-in period after enactment will be necessary,” Ipav chief executive Genevieve McGuirk says. “Otherwise, there is a grave risk that we could see a period of chaos with major delays being encountered for renters, property owners’ and agents.”
Is the Government, in its haste to be seen to be taking decisive action on the politically volatile issue of rents, running too far ahead of itself.
Perhaps IT headaches are inevitable in a project like this but it will make for uncomfortable reading in Government Buildings if one of its key initiatives ends up not being ready for its big day in six weeks’ time.
