Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has today written to the Residential Tenancies Board asking them to set out what steps they intend to take on foot of research co-produced with the CSO that demonstrates widespread non-registration of private rental tenancies.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“When the 2022 census figures were published, the recorded number of private rental tenancies was at variance with the number of private tenancies registered with the RTB.

“The census identified 330,632 households living in the private rental sector while the RTBs figures at the end of 2022 recorded just 246,453 registered tenancies.

“To understand the variance between the figures the RTB and CSO undertook research. That research has been published today.

“It concludes that ‘there was an estimated gap of 73,002 between RTB registered private tenancies and Census figures on households living in private rented units’.

“The research said that the ‘difference is allocated into two categories with 47,754 possible ‘informal rental arrangements’ which are outside the scope of the RTB and 25,248 possible ‘formal rental arrangements’ that should probably have been registered with the RTB.’

“This means that as many as 25,000 private rental tenancies that should have been registered with the RTB weren’t. This is not only an offence under the Act but it denies tenants access to the RTB to vindicate their rights.

“Today I have written to the RTB asking them to set out what then intend to do arising from these findings to ensure that all private rental tenancies that should be registered are registered.

“I also set out in my correspondence to the RTB that their conclusion that all of the 47,754 ‘informal rental arrangements’ fall outside the scope of the RTB needs greater consideration as some of these arrangements may still require RTB registration.

“Furthermore, given that the number of RTB registered tenancies has fallen to 223,979 at the end of 2023 I have also asked the RTB to try and establish whether the number of formal and informal arrangements has actually increased during the course of 2023.

“I have also written to the chair of the Joint Oireachtas Housing Committee today to ask for the RTB and CSO to be invited to discuss their research findings with our committee in the early Autumn.

“It is important that both landlords and tenants comply with their obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act. Tenancy registration is key to this. The RTB must now act swiftly on today’s finding to ensure the highest level of registration compliance possible.”