Private Residential Tenancies Board of Ireland On the 1st December 2004 the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 came into full effect. The act includes a requirement for Landlords to register their tenancies and introduced new procedures for resolving disputes. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) is an organisation that has been set up by the Government. Its main role is to provide a dispute resolution service for landlords and tenants. The mediator helps landlords and tenants to come to an agreement that works for both of them. The PRTB is als0 responsible for tenancy registration and from September 2004 all landlords have had to register new tenancies with the board. Disputes will be arbitrated by this body rather than the courts. Registration: There are currently over 140,000 Landlords in Ireland and they have to register their tenancies. All existing tenancies should have been registered with the PRTB by the 1st December 2004. All new tenancies must be registered within one month. Landlords must also inform the board if they replace one tenant with another or if they change the rent within one month of the changes being made. The PTRB is going to rigorously pursue compliance by Landlords with the registration requirement. If they do not register, on conviction could receive a, fine of up to 3,000 or 6 months imprisonment. Once the tenancy has been registered a Tenant and landlord will be issued with a registration number by the PTRB. More information at http://www.jml-property-insurance.co.uk |