Can my landlord increase the rent by 5pc even though it’s in a rent pressure zone?
QI have been renting a house in Clontarf, Dublin, for more than five years. My landlord, who recently paid for a major home energy retrofit of the property, has given notice that he will be increasing the annual rent by 5pc. Given the property is in a rent pressure zone (RPZ), I queried this and he advised that he is exempt from the rent control rules because he has invested money in improving the energy efficiency of the property. Is he right?
Under rent control rules, landlords can only increase rent by up to 2pc a year and by no more than the market rent if the property is in an RPZ, said Ian Lawlor, managing director of Lotus Investment Group, which lends to developers. Not all rented properties in RPZs are subject to rent caps.
Properties that are exempt from RPZ rent caps include those that have undergone a “substantial change in the nature of the accommodation”. Insulation and building upgrades can constitute “substantial change” if a landlord substantially reduces the energy usage and improves the property’s building energy rating (BER).
For your landlord to be exempt from the rent control rules though, the BER of the property must have improved by seven grades on the BER scale, assuming the only renovations on the property were the home energy upgrade. Check how the previous BER of the property compares to the BER after the retrofit.
I always visited my GP in person. However, it has become increasingly difficult to get an appointment. I think I have access to a digi GP as an added benefit on my income protection policy. It’s not something I’ve ever used. How does it work?
With many GP surgeries under pressure, it’s not always easy to get an appointment with your local doctor, said Siocha Costello, of Aviva Life and Pensions. In addition, the cost of a visit to GPs varies a lot.
Some life companies offer a digital GP service at no extra cost to certain customers. Aviva offers this free service to all new customers taking out protection products such as life insurance, mortgage or income protection, and there are no restrictions on the number of times you can use it.
The policy covers the insured, their spouse or partner and children up to age 18, or 23 if in full-time education. Once booked, a call back from an experienced Irish registered doctor is made within a few hours, with prescriptions sent directly to a local pharmacy at home, or across Europe, if you are abroad.
It can be used to treat conditions like rashes, allergies, food poisoning, coughs, sinusitis, chest infection, sore throat, eye and ear infections, headache, Covid, stomach ache, nausea and lots more.
AQAQI am in my early 50s and about to draw up my will. My parents are both still alive and so it is possible they will leave me something when they pass away. Is there anything I could do to ensure that any inheritance I receive myself after drawing up my will would be divided as per my wishes? It is important to update your will regularly throughout your life to ensure that it reflects any change in your circumstances and wishes, said Sonia McEntee, principal with Sonia McEntee Solicitors.
Your will should include a residuary clause – that is, a clause which outlines how property or assets which are not specifically dealt with in your will should be distributed. It’s like a safety net which catches anything that is not covered by the specific bequests in a will.
Without a residuary clause, any portion of your estate which is not dealt with in your will would be divided as if you had died intestate (that is, without a will) and so ultimately it will be the law that decides who inherits it, which may not be the person or people you wish to inherit from you.
Any inheritance you receive in your lifetime will form part of your estate and will be treated as such, said Ms McEntee. For example, assume there are three main assets in your estate: your family home, a large cash lump sum, and a property inherited from your parents after your will had been made.
If your will specifically deals with the family home and cash lump sum, including a residuary clause will ensure that any other assets you own at the time of your death will pass in accordance with that clause. If there is no residuary clause, then the intestacy rules apply.
The residuary clause is a fundamental element of a well-drafted will. Wills should be reviewed regularly to take account of changes in circumstances, the solicitor said.
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