The Government yesterday published the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021:
The Bill provides for the following:
- the extension of the existing protections for tenants adversely financially impacted by Covid-19 to expire on 12 January 2022 (from 12 July 2021);
- limiting the notice periods required to be given by students in respect of student-specific accommodation to 28 days;
- capping the payment to be made in order to secure a tenancy to:
- an advance payment of rent in a sum no greater than a month’s rent under the tenancy agreement; and
- a deposit in an amount no greater than one month’s rent.
To be clear, both the first and last changes above apply to all residential tenancies, not just student accomodation, although the change capping advance payment has been designed with the protection of students as its primary purpose.
The Bill is expected to come law before the Oireachtas summer break.
For further information on this topic, please contact Aoife Smyth, Knowledge Lawyer or any member of A&L Goodbody’s Real Estate team.