Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
A “DISCREPANCY” OF approximately 84,000 homes between different state bodies’ estimates of the size of the private rental sector will be investigated by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The CSO hopes to shed light on how there is such a gap between its data and that of figures held by the Residential Tenancies Tribunal (RTB) on the number of households renting from a private landlord.
The Oireachtas Housing Committee is due to discuss the issue this afternoon, with the CSO, the RTB and an expert on the sector to outline their findings to date as politicians aim to achieve a “full picture” of the private rental market.
According to the CSO, it has recorded 330,632 private rented homes whereas the RTB has 246,453 registered tenancies in its 2022 data. It amounts to a difference of 84,179 homes.
The inconsistency means it’s “unknown” whether the rental market is growing or shrinking, a housing researcher and lecturer will tell politicians.
According to Dr Michael Byrne, of University College Dublin’s school of social policy, social work and social justice, the discrepancy is likely due to tenancies going unregistered with the RTB.
All landlords are required to renew the registration of their tenancies to the RTB. Since 2022, they are required to do so on an annual basis.
The Journal reported last month on how only a fraction of renters had claimed their Rent Tax Credit, with Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin pointing to the requirement for a tenancy to be registered with the RTB being a barrier for many tenants.
Byrne is also due to say that it is possible that some approved housing body (AHB) tenants are “mis-categorising” themselves as private tenants when completing the Census.
AHB tenants live in homes that are owned by charitable or voluntary bodies.
According to the Census, this figure is at around 1,000 homes.
“Due to discrepancies between RTB and CSO Census data, the current size of the private rental sector (PRS), and whether or not it is growing or shrinking, is unknown,” Byrne will tell the committee.
“Further research is required to address this uncertainty as it has crucial implications for policy.”
From his own research of clients who contacted renters body Threshold, he found that 52% of tenants are not registered with the RTB.
This “suggests that non-registration is a significant concern”, according to Byrne’s opening statement to the housing committee.
Advertisement
RTB concern
Director of the RTB, Niall Byrne, is due to tell the committee that he is concerned about the discrepancy and welcomes the CSO’s upcoming analysis of the figures.
“We share the concern of the committee that there are differences between the RTB’s registration data and the figures published by the CSO from the 2022 Census. We have been engaging with colleagues from the CSO on this matter since July,” his opening statement outlines.
Cormac Halpin, senior statistician for the Census, is due to appear before the committee to outline the work the CSO will undertake to discover the true number of private rental homes.
Halpin will TDs and senators that, “given the importance of understanding the discrepancies”, the CSO is proposing to undertake a “matching exercise” between the two organisations’ records to better understand the reasons for the differences between the published figures.
“It is possible that more informal letting arrangements, for example between parents and children, are captured in the census as private rentals but may not be registered with the RTB,” Halpin’s opening statement continues.
It’s expected the CSO’s analysis, which begins next month, will also reveal a geographical breakdown and more information on the characteristics of the households involved.
Cathaoirleach Steven Matthews said the committee wants to discuss the “scale of the difference” between the two figures held by the CSO and RTB.
“Members would like to hear a deeper analysis from the CSO and RTB on why this is the case and how their figures can be better aligned to give a full picture of the size and scale of the private rented sector,” the Wicklow Green Party TD said.
The growth in the private rental market has been tracked by the CSO, whose most recent Census found an almost 7% increase in households who rented from a private landlord, compared with Census 2016.
The 2016 figure was in turn a “more modest increase” of just over 1% of private tenancies reported in Census 2011.
Landlord ‘exodus’
Dr Michael Byrne will also question whether landlords are “fleeing the market” due to a lack of “accurate data” on the sector.
Michael Byrne will tell the committee that while there has been much discussion of an ‘exodus’ of small-scale landlords, “it should be noted that the number of landlords leaving the sector is just one variable”.
“Even if many landlords leave the sector, the supply of PRS housing can
increase, either because landlords who are leaving sell their properties to new landlords, or because their exit is offset by new investment,” the lecturer will tell politicians.
His opening address adds: “However, in terms of official data it is very hard to assess the extent to which small landlords are indeed ‘fleeing the market’.”
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
44 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
@Gerard Carey: or tenants who request their landlord to stay below the radar so that the landlord can offer a lower rent to the tenant. Regulations cost money and the tenant will always be the one who pays for the cost of implementing the regulations.
Let’s skip the hypothesis and stick with reality. No Landlord ever asked that question, and no tenant ever asked for lower rent in return for no rights. If you have tried to find accommodation in the rental sector any time in the last year or two you’d understand how ludicrous your assertion is. It does not happen.
I am a landlord in the UK. I recently saw an increase in my costs caused purely by regulations. When the lease was renewed I passed these costs on to my tenants via higher rent. I explained to the tenant that I had to pay 1100 GBP per year for pieces of paper i.e. regulations. The tenants’ reply was ‘maybe we don’t need these pieces of paper and the rent could be lower’. I said they should take it up with their MP who voted for the increased regulations. I am also forced by law to have a six month fixed period when the lease is renewed. Neither I nor my tenants want it but…..regulations.
Frankly, my dear… your stories about one time in the UK do not interest me. Even in the ‘example’ you gave, it’s a stretch to say the tenants are asking en masse for lower rent in exchange for no regulation. ..which was your inital position. It does not happen.
Regulations cost money. Whether the tenant wants them or not, the tenant is the one who is paying for them. I have been a landlord for 19 years and own 3 properties in 3 countries. I sold up in Ireland because if regulations and rent controls. The statistics suggest I am not the only landlord doing the same….and the tenant is the one who pays. It is very easy to ask for more regulations, do you remember when a tenant had the choice to live in a cheap bedsit? That option is now removed and there is no cheap bedsit.
Sorry but I’m going to back him up on this.
I manage rentals and I regularly have tenants offer cash under the counter money, no lease, no paperwork. House in north kildare I could have walked out with just over €8,000 in cash from 3 different tenants.
It’s a sign of how bad it is.
At least you’ve changed positions from tenants being the driver of this scenario to them being the ones who pay the price regardless. Regulations are needed and are being brought in to help ensure people’s safety and security. Housing is too important to allow anybody with an extra property to let it out on their own terms with no regard for the welfare of the tenant. Those in the ‘my house, my rules’ camp need to move with it or move on. If they don’t respect the welfare of the tenant they should not be allowed let the house.
@P.J. Nolan: Your last sentence says it all P.J… these are desperation measures. People just trying to secure a place because they have no other option and will settle for anything. Not people simply wanting to cut out regulations just to save the money.
So your argument that all tenants are happier to pay a higher rent in return for more regulation. If that were true then nobody would ever drive a Dacia. It is cheaper because it doesn’t have many safety features like lane key assist etc. That is why they no longer have 5 star safety rating. Why don’t all drivers get the car with 5 stars? The answer is because it is more expensive. A straight forward question……Would you be happier to pay 300 EUR more for a fully regulated apartment versus one not fully regulated?
My argument is the same as it was at the outset – your assertion that many of these tenancies are unregistered at the request of the tenants is not accurate at all. It’s an excuse for landlords to hide behind. A Dacia is still certified for the road so your analogy is wide of the mark. You also talk as if there are lots of options to choose from, ignoring the reality again that people are tripping over each other to find accommodation. Your question is moot.. there should not be any unregulated rentals on the market. That’s what this article is about….
A Dacia (or any other car) can be on the road without NCT. People drive a car without an NCT therefore choosing to avoid regulation because it is cheaper. Why would this be different in rental property?
The fact is regulation makes everything more expensive for the end user in all situations. Also in all situations there will be people who evade regulations as it is the cheaper option.
In my case as a landlord if I can legally avoid any regulation I will do it. I have yet to have a tenant that says ‘yes please comply with that non compulsory regulation and pass the increased cost to me via higher rent’.
I explained why I won’t answer your loaded question.. you are dancing around the truth. Obviously people prefer cheaper options, and where limitations exist they will have to sacrifice security/safety for the illegal cheaper option. That DOES NOT support or validate your assertion that tenants’ wishes are the reason for so many unregistered tenancies. Your NCT analogy of people not taking the NCT to save money is equally weak.. it’s an illegal option, like unregistered tenancies. And no, no tenant would put that sentence to you.. just like no tenant will ever say ‘please don’t register the tenancy so you can charge me less’.. because landlords don’t manage their properties based on tenant requests. That’s a ridiculous proposition as I said from the start.
Yes tenants do ask for unregistered cash in hand tenancies to keep the cost down. Not alone am I telling you my experience of 19 years as a landlord across 4 properties (now 3) in which I have had more than 100 tenants but another landlord is telling you it happens. The NCT is a perfect example that you cannot deny. People will evade regulations to lower costs….not all will, but some will. They same “some’ who can be responsible for some of the discrepancies in the figures between the census and the RTB.
So what percentage of the 84,000 discrepancy do you reckon is accounted for where the decision not to register the tenancy was made by the tenant? Seriously, you’re taking what might apply in a tiny number of in-situ scenarios where the landlord is strong arming the tenant to avoid their obligations and trying to apply that to blame tenants for landlords cutting corners. That’s quite despicable really.
No I am not trying to blame anyone….just stating the facts. The fact is some of this discrepancy is due to tenants and landlords colluding to evade regulations for their mutual benefit. Extra regulations increase charges….if the landlord cannot pass on these charges they will sell up when they can. My own tenants would prefer these regulations are lowered but we are stuck with them.
You didn’t answer my question… I daresay your tenants would have preferred the regulation without the increased rent ideally. However, if presented with the option, which should not happen, then they may feel coerced into opting for the lower cost. That’s not a decision to avoid registration and cannot be put on the tenant.. that’s bad landlords being bad landlords. But your initial point specifically said that tenants ‘ask’.. which implies it is their idea, now it’s ‘collude’. No tenants made the decision not to register the tenancy. That’s a landlord decision.
@Gerard Carey: your right..very obvious.
No one checks what properties are rented
RTB doesn’t checkbits up to landlords to register.
Tenants have no incentive to report the property to RTB
DOH!
It is pretty simple especially where the landlord and tenant know each other. Rent is 1500 if fully declared an all legal. Tenant or landlord suggests that the rent can be 1250 if the tenancy is not registered. In cases where the landlord thinks they can get away with that then the tenancy is not registered. Each party is at least 250 EUR better off the only loser financially is the tax man. If you think this is not a very regular occurrence you are very much mistaken and need to spend some time as a landlord.
@Patrick Connaughton: the discrepancy could also come from wrong information. there are quite a lot of tenancies under the rent a room scheme which doesn’t need to get reported to the RTB but tenants might tick the wrong boxes by mistake making it appear as a regular tenancy when it’s not.
@David Healion: don’t know about the legality of having to register with the RTB, but I think it is a requirement too if you are taking in HAP tenants and also if you wish to claim tax relief on mortgage interest you are paying on a rental property.
I have tried 3 times to register a tenancy (it’s part of my job) but I get an email back that the tenant details I provide don’t match the department of social services files.
That would be the details taken from their department of social services card…….
Yeah number of people renting is increasing so landlord count is increasing, but small landlords locked in at below market rent are leaving and being replaced by institutionals, hence the continual increse in rents, tax breaks for the smalls would help keep rents lower an improvement availability
If it’s not made illegal not to register with RTB and also unless that’s actually enforced then what’s the point in these articles. We all know there are loads of landlords not registered and nothing is done about it.
Gov’t wants to be in your affairs, while a great many of the governed take the route to avoid it and profit. CSO is the thin end of an almighty wedge in this instance and I expect gov’t will find a way to solve their problem, fast becoming the landlords’ legal problems.
Putting houses in other family members names. A very common practice. Taking out mortgage in boom times and putting in a child’s name . Letting it out and say nothing.
Veteran US lawmaker Mitch McConnell announces his retirement
2 mins ago
0
0
Israel
Israel's defence minister orders West Bank raids to intensify following bomb attack
1 hr ago
4.3k
Met Éireann
Status Yellow wind warning for 10 counties tomorrow as stormy conditions expected
Updated
5 hrs ago
48.9k
40
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 148 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 102 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 133 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 103 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 75 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 74 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 36 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 32 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 124 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 59 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 72 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 79 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 37 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 42 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 24 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 82 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 92 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 65 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 48 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 81 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 60 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say