Residential Tenancies Act should be reviewed – Moynihan
The Residential Tenancies Act should be reviewed in order to strengthen the rights of tenants, according to Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan.
Moynihan was speaking after the launch of a research report by Threshold showing a significant power imbalance in the landlord-tenant relationship.
Senator Moynihan said:
“The research gathered in this report highlights the issues with the unequal power relationship between tenant and landlord. Many tenants do not feel like they can vindicate their rights under the RTB because they are afraid that action will be taken against them by their landlord.”
“The findings are worrying as they show that the landlord-tenant relationship is the key factor in determining whether a tenant takes action in response to a perceived breach of their rights or the threat of their tenancy ending.
“The private renter sector is growing and many people are living in rental accommodation long term, raising families in insecure housing where they can be served notice to quit for no reason. With such a shortage of supply in the rental market, we have a situation where many renters are beholden to their landlords and living in a constant state of insecurity and flux afraid to challenge for their rights.”
Senator Moynihan continued:
“The Residential Tenancies Act needs to be reviewed in order to end no fault evictions and to introduce an accessible professional forum for tenants to raise issues with their landlord without fear of ending up on the streets. Labour also believe the powers of the Rental Tenancies Board should be strengthened to allow it to properly fulfil its mandate to make secure, long-term renting a viable option.”