ASPECTS OF James Plunkett's Strumpet City still exist at the lower end of the private rented accommodation market in Dublin and other cities. And the Government and local authorities are failing in their duty to enforce proper standards. More than one in five properties inspected by local authorities last year failed to meet basic requirements. While that figure represents a slight improvement on previous years, it still amounts to a major indictment.
Some rented houses and apartments are new-build and of good quality. But others are old and dilapidated – vermin-infested, lacking proper heating and hot water and with mould growing on the walls. Many of these are occupied by individuals in receipt of State rent supplements – the most vulnerable and isolated tenants – who are in need of special protection from greedy and uncaring landlords. In spite of that, local authorities have traditionally failed to enforce the law. And the introduction of new standards for rented accommodation in 2008 appears to have changed nothing.
Ministers have emphasised a need for “fairness” as they prepare a four-year economic recovery plan. What hope can be invested in that aspiration when no significant attempt has been made to deal with tax evasion and the exploitation of tenants by unscrupulous property owners? For a number of years now, the voluntary tenants support group Threshold has been lobbying for the establishment of a certification scheme under which landlords would have to prove their compliance with basic quality and safety standards before a property could be rented, rather than depending on inspections by local authorities. Such a system would also force landlords to become tax-compliant and raise much-needed revenue for the State. Nothing has happened.
Minister of State for Housing Michael Finneran has attempted to minimise the problems surrounding rented, sub-standard accommodation. He suggested the small number of prosecutions taken by local authorities reflects relatively minor infringements. But the evidence available from inspections, along with complaints from tenants and voluntary agencies, suggests a serious, continuing problem. The State is paying more than €500 million a year in rent supplements to needy tenants. In many cases, that money is being spent on sub-standard accommodation. And the registration of landlords for tax purposes remains a work in progress. Reform is urgently required.