Council strategy on rent arrears

A ‘significant number’ of council tenants have lied to the council about their weekly income and the council are now persuing many of these for backpayments, it has been revealed.

Rent arrears in the county now stand at over €5m and the council said they are currently taking action to pursue those who ‘won’t’ rather than ‘can’t’ pay.

Speaking at the December meeting of Drogheda Municipal District, Senior Executive Officer for Housing, Aoife Lawler said the council has discovered that a significant number of council tenants have misinformed them and have signed numerous forms declaring their income to be a fraction fo what it actually is.

She said that is what is causing the current backlog with the rent arrears, not the staff.

‘If we discover people have essentially lied about their income then we will chase them and we will chase them hard,’ she said.

Ms Lawler told of one family who had declared their weekly income as €280 when it was in fact €700.

Councillor David Saurin said his concern was for people who have contacted the council to inform them of a change in their circumstance and then get a letter telling them they are two months in arrears.

‘We tell people who apply for an assessment because of a change of means that there is a delay in the assessment and we ask them to pay the estimated rent until the decision is made,’ said Ms Lawler. ‘Any adjustment will be made once that decision is finalised. The rates are very straightforward.’

Councillor Kevin Callan commended the council for taking action on this issue and said it was deplorable to find people lying about their circumstances and not paying their rent when there are others in genuine need waiting for housing.

Ms Lawler said the council take the top 50 people in arrears and exam their cases in detail and if it’s a case of won’t pay rather than can’t pay then they are pursued through any means possible, including through the courts.

She said if people genuinely can’t pay then the council will work out a rate with them to pay off the backpayment owed.

Ms Lawler revealed the council have repossessed three houses recently.

Reasons for repossessions include non-payment, anti-social behaviour and drug dealing and abandonment.