Threshold blasts greedy landlords for upping rents

Greedy landlords in Galway City have forced low-income families out of their homes by upping rents, according to housing charity Threshold.

In its annual report for 2013, the charity said that landlords had been profiteering from the chronic shortage of rented accommodation in the city.

“One of the most notable developments in the private rented sector in 2013 was the shortage of rented accommodation and significant increases in rent levels.

“Threshold’s Galway office supported tenants experiencing real difficulty in securing a place to rent. It has been difficult to secure accommodation under the rent supplement scheme for some time, but the shortage in accommodation put even greater pressure on Threshold’s clients.

“Some landlords sought to profit from the shortage of accommodation by increasing rents to unaffordable levels for low-income families,” the report reads.

According to the charity, the single biggest issue for tenants who were in contact was over standards and repairs problems.

“Despite the existence of minimum standard regulations for private rented accommodation, many tenants found it difficult to get landlords to carry out repairs.

“Local authorities did not always respond to requests for enforcement. Ineffective heating systems, dampness and failure to repair kitchen equipment were some of the most common problems reported.

“Unfortunately the dream of owning a home turned sour for tens of thousands of people who bought their homes at the height of the property boom. Today, there are over 100,000 households in Ireland in mortgage arrears and an increasing number are facing the trauma of having their home repossessed.

“Since the property crash, many families who would otherwise have bought their own homes or would have been allocated a local authority home are now living in the rented sector,” Threshold said.

Properties being taken over by receivers also prompted difficulties for tenants.

“The Galway office witnessed an increase in the number of tenants experiencing difficulties where a receiver had been appointed to their homes.

“The appointment of a receiver can give rise to great uncertainty for tenants as the law is currently unclear in this area. Threshold worked with tenants to help secure their tenancies and uphold their rights under housing law,” the report reads.