Government plans to extend the Rent a Room Scheme to local authority housing should be avoided at all cost according a Longford Councillor.
The May meeting of Longford County Council heard arguments over the extension of the plan that allows property owners to rent out rooms in their houses and apartments for €14,000 tax-free per year.
Last week the Housing Minister announced plans council tenants will also be able to rent out their spare bedrooms, with local Councillor Gerry Warnock claiming the move was full of red flags. He's raised issues over the management of anti social behaviour, tenant rights and rent increases and questioned the role of the local authority and the original council tenant.
Speaking to Shannonside FM news following this week's meeting, Councillor Warnock branded the extension as a desperate move:
''Without the guidance or some of the guidelines from the Department I can see a thousand red flags here in terms of how this should be probably avoided at all costs. There's so many issues there, who is the landlord is it the local authority or is it the tenant that's subletting. Will there be connotations in respect of state management issues such as anti social behaviour, will there issues for the tenant themselves in terms of rent increases. I think it smacks of desperation from a Government that's under pressure.''
