Excellent article on how important small landlords are and how screwing them over hasn't worked

Its interesting = everyone knows we have a problem with housing availability. And yet society responds by vilifying those who supply housing. And politicians follow suit, naturally.

If there was a shortage of wheat would we be vilifying farmers. (Answer yes we probably would).

44 separate pieces of legislation? It's no wonder many small landlords are confused and its only in the past year or so that rtb have started to provide templates and forms that landlords can use to comply with their legal obligations. Before that a landlord had to be divinely inspired and was expected to understand all the nuances of each new piece of legislation with zero help from the rtb who wouldn't give any information when contacted. Their response was always that they couldn't advise on the legislation even though they are the state agency with responsibility for overseeing everything to do with the residential rental sector, you couldn't make it up.

If a citizen or business contacted revenue with a query about tax rules they would get the information, same with DSP or WRC and many other state agencies. Citizens are entitled to information - unless they happen to be landlords it appears, while tenants can get information relevant to them from many different sources. Changes and new rules brought in with no explaination of how it would affect landlords, only tenants, even the language used on rtb website, citizens information and the dept of housing is clearly biased towards tenants. Very one-sided IMHO and i'm not a landlord.

It looks like more legislation may be on the way for owners of vacant property and those who rent short term. Who knows, more stick might work this time. Who would want to be a landlord, we seriously need to get over the hangups from the 1800's about evil landlords and innocent tenants, we need a system that's fair to both parties and ensures everyone keeps to the rules.

Are you exaggerating your victimhood just a tad?

Public bodies don't give professional advice. That's why we have lawyers, accountants, data protection experts and others plying their trades. Revenue won't give you professional advice based on your own scenario. They'll tell you what the rules say,and leave it to you to interpret them.

RTB is no different to most public bodies. They're not going to provide professionally qualified staff to sit in a call centre and give expert advice. No professional advisor could work like that.

Institutional investment companies will not invest outside the large urban areas. Towns and villages will always only have small time landlords

In my own case, first home for a young couple.

Sold to professional large landlords who will charge as much as possible. Where as a small landlord will have some compassion when set rent reviews

this also Drives up property prices

Did you read my post, I said information, not advice. And as for victimhood, haha, i'm not a landlord. Cop on to yourself.

Citizens are entitled to understand and get information about state services or ask questions of the relevant bodies without employing a professional.

For one of the biggest pedants on the site, that was one idiotic post Mr Renko - annual fee indeed 🙄

That was their response when asked for information. That they couldn't ADVISE on the legislation.

I contacted them recently to ask about the transition from part4 tenancies to indefinite duration. I know from reading the blurb that this is supposed to "happen over time" but there is no information on the website as to how that will happen. Information that is relevant to everyone in the rental market, not only landlords.

The staff may not be legally trained but the RTB are the body with responsibility and should provide information that affects any stakeholder in that sector.

Why did you revenue an annual fee?

RTB, The RTB website provides easy access for our customers to information relating to residential tenancies

look at this guide: https://www.revenue.ie/en/self-assessment-and-self-employment/documents/form11-helpsheet.pdf

There are two sides to every story. That landlord might have been carrying negative equity for years, had rent that didn't cover the repayments, not to mid NPPR, LPT and every other charge. He might have been living on beanns and toast and now needs money to pay for his mother in a nursing home, for all anyone knows.