Clare County Council is opting not to use some of the powers available to it to order private landlords to bring their accommodation up to standard, even when issues have come to light.
The Council has not issued any improvement orders or improvement notices to landlords since 2017, even though Councils around the country have invoked these measures a combined 56,000 times in that timeframe.
The local authority here insists it is coming to the assistance of tenants, however.
As part of its statutory functions to inspect private properties and ensure they are up to standard, Clare County Council inspectors have assessed 1,647 privately rented homes since the start of 2018.
86.7% of those, or over 1,400 properties, have failed to meet at least one regulation governing rented accommodation.
When this happens, most Councils nationally have a track record of issueing Improvement Letters or more stringent Improvement Notices, with these measures invoked nearly 57,000 times natinoally over the past three years, according to official figures.
However, those same figures show none were issued in Clare.
Responding to a query from Clare FM, a Council spokesperson has said that instead, it has issued ‘notices of works’ as these have been found to be more conducive.
They say most of the works required are minor, and that in instances where the property was deemed unfit the tenant was relocated.
The Council says it will continue to work with landlords and that it remains aware of the legislative route open to the Council.
Statement from Clare County Council
“During 2020, and in spite of Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions, Clare County Council inspected 251 private rented properties. Of these, 240 landlords were issued with notice of works. To date we have not issued improvement notices as we find it more conducive to work with landlords to undertake the necessary works. Most of the works required are minor in nature, and in instances where the property was deemed unfit the tenant was relocated. We continue to work with landlords and remain aware of the legislative route open to the Council.”
