Some renters of Cork homes don't realise they have no legal protection

Renters are accepting properties which do not leave them legally protected due to the housing crisis, with some not aware they have rights until an issue arises in their tenancy, a report has found.

National housing charity Threshold has launched its new report, Renting at The Frontier: Protecting the Rights of Licensees in Ireland.

It shines the spotlight on a significant group of renters, those classified as “licensees”, who often find themselves in informal rental arrangements.

Data from the 2022 Census indicates there could be nearly 50,000 households in such agreements. Given that around 11% of the population live in Cork, there could be over 5,000 such informal agreements in place across here.

Threshold said these renters are not protected by the Residential Tenancies Acts, have little to no rights, often have no recourse to the Residential Tenancies Board, and are largely absent from policymaking and legal protection. 

'DIGS'

Licensees include a diverse range of living situations beyond the commonly understood categories of “digs” or “lodgers”. They may be sub-letting from another tenant, living in housing provided by their employer, caravans, or retirement villages.

This research has found many of these arrangements are based on verbal agreements, so licensees are left vulnerable to sudden evictions, poor standards of upkeep of accommodation, and a lack of recourse when issues arise.

Threshold notes that many of the research participants only discovered their licensee status when there was an issue with their arrangement, contacting Threshold only to find out that they have little to no rights.

However, some renters who believe they are licensees are, in fact, tenants who have more rights than they have been led to believe by a landlord. The report also noted that Cork city has “experienced substantial increases” in rental prices over the last decade, which can lead to people accepting tenancies with less protection.

Edel Conlon, Threshold’s southern regional services manager, said that given the challenges in the current rental market, many people find themselves having to access informal rental arrangements that are not protected by legislation.

“Licensees are left vulnerable to sudden evictions, poor standards of accommodation and a lack of recourse when issues do arise.

In the Cork office we often see landlords issuing licensee agreements, when in fact they are tenancies that come under the Residential Tenancies Acts.

“It is important that people contact Threshold prior to commencing any rental arrangement so they are fully informed. Advice is available through our helpline 1800 454 454 and appointments are available in our Cork office at 22 South Mall, Cork.”