Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020

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Number 7 of 2020


RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES AND VALUATION ACT 2020


CONTENTS

PART 1

Preliminary and General

1. Short title and collective citations

2. Definitions

PART 2

Protection of Tenants During Emergency Period

3. Interpretation

4. Application of Part

5. Notices of termination served during emergency period

6. Prohibition on rent increases during emergency period

7. Service of declaration under section 4

PART 3

Miscellaneous

8. Proceedings before Tenancy Tribunal under Act of 2004

9. Amendment of section 34 of Act of 2004

10. Amendment of section 35 of Act of 2004

11. Referral of notice of termination to adjudicator under Act of 2004

12. Amendment of section 67 of Act of 2004

13. Amendment of Act of 2020

14. Application of section 25 of Valuation Act 2001


Acts Referred to

Comhairle Act 2000 (No. 1)

Companies Act 2014 (No. 38)

Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 (No. 2)

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1)

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 (No. 14)

Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (No. 27)

Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2019

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 (No. 22)

Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26)

Valuation Act 2001 (No. 13)

Valuation Acts 2001 to 2019

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Number 7 of 2020


RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES AND VALUATION ACT 2020


An Act to increase notice periods in relation to notices of termination served on tenants during the period from the date of the passing of this Act to 10 January 2021 for failure to pay rent due and to prohibit increases in rents on tenancies of dwellings during that period; to make provision in relation to the giving of notifications, and notices of termination, by landlords to tenants and the Residential Tenancies Board in relation to arrears of rent; to extend the period within which a valuation list in relation to the rating authority area of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council shall be published; for those and other purposes, to amend the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 , the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 and the Valuation Act 2001 ; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

[1st August, 2020]

WHEREAS the crisis occasioned by the spread of the disease known as Covid-19 is causing and will continue to cause significant harm to the economy of the State and has thus far resulted in a substantial increase in the number of persons who have become unemployed;

WHEREAS the rise in unemployment among persons who reside in residential tenancy accommodation has had an adverse impact on the ability of such persons to meet their obligations to pay rent due, thereby presenting an imminent risk that a significant number of residential tenancies will be terminated by landlords;

WHEREAS any significant increase in terminations of residential tenancies accommodation by landlords increases the likelihood that the former occupants of such accommodation would have great difficulty securing alternative accommodation which could cause acute aggravation of difficulties in the residential accommodation sector including difficulties relating to overcrowding, thereby presenting a substantial risk of spread of that disease with a consequent need for measures to counter its spread that would likely have further adverse economic consequences for the State;

WHEREAS the State has already taken significant measures to deal with the aforementioned crisis including measures to support the economy that have required and continue to require substantial disbursement and expenditure of public moneys; and

WHEREAS the Oireachtas has, with regard to Part 2 and section 13 of this Act, taken account of the matters referred to in the foregoing recitals.

Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows: