Landlords across the country could soon be set to face tougher sanctions in the near future as the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has revealed that he and his department are set to review the laws for tenants rights when it comes to them being housed in unfit accommodation.
Mr Murphy made his claims whilst addressing Sinn Fein’s motion to review the on going problem that has seen landlords been given lenient penalties even though they are renting properties that are unfit for housing.
According to RTE News Mr Murphy has said the issue is a major priority for his department as tenants across the country are being forced to pay rent on properties that are not safe to live in.
The Housing Minister said the current laws have to be addressed sooner rather than later as landlords are taking full advantage of the situation by renting out their unsafe properties just because they passed the ‘initial approval notice’.
Mr Murphy added the state must impose tougher sanctions on landlords who clearly and deliberately break the rules by cramming people into homes ‘like sardines’ even though they know full well the property they are renting hasn’t been repaired to meet the satisfactory health and safety requirements.
Under the new penalties mooted by Mr Murphy landlords could face imprisonment if they willingly rent their property despite failing to meet the required safety standards.