RENT ARREARS TOP €70MILLION
Cllr wants rent-a-room scheme ban for tenants
SOCIAL housing tenants’ rent arrears now amount to more than €70million, new figures show.
It has also been revealed that some local authorities that are struggling to gather the millions of euro owed are seeking possession orders.
Homelessness charities like Focus Ireland warned that tenants get into difficulty due to changes of circumstances beyond their control.
The latest debt figures show that hundreds of tenants have amassed arrears of more than €10,000 each.
Dublin City Council, which has 25,000 social housing tenants, generated €100million in rent last year – but €38million was not collected.
Of the tenants who owe the €38million, some 60% are in talks with the council to provide the rent in a payment agreement.
Around 900 tenants owe rent arrears more than €11,000 and some 43 households are scheduled for Dublin District Court hearings.
South Dublin County Council has 5,000 social housing tenants who owe €11million in rent arrears.
Less than 2,000 of those owe four weeks’ rent, but some 223 have arrears in excess of €10,000 each. As many as 100 tenants have legal proceedings initiated against them because of the rent arrears and have been warned that they could lose their homes.
South Dublin County Cllr David Mcmanus now wants tenants who are in arrears to be barred from availing of the renta-room scheme which allows households
to rent out a room for up to €15,000 a year tax-free.
Cllr Mcmanus said: “We have a real crisis in South Dublin. Arrears are over €10.5million, although the average rent we charge is €65 a week.
“Council management decided if there is a history of anti-social behaviour or a poor record in paying rent, you will not be getting access to the rent-a-room scheme.
“I believe that is fair and proper.”
Meanwhile, Mike Allen of Focus Ireland said: “We need to make sure that people pay their rent and councils collect it, but we also have to understand why people get into arrears. The vast majority of those who are in arrears are in a payment plan.
“Something has happened and pushed them into arrears.