South Dublin County Council is owed over €11 million in unpaid rent from tenants.
And a local councillor urging tenants to co-operate with the council to ensure they can afford their accommodation as the cost of living crisis continues. 5,859 rental accounts are in arrears, comprising 59 per cent of all council housing tenancies.
A spokesman for South Dublin County Council told Dublin Live in a statement: "The Debt Management Unit was established to address outstanding rent arrears. The rent arrears currently outstanding, amount to €11,171,347, this is a reduction of almost €600,000 since the beginning of the year.
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"The Council's Debt Management Unit works constructively with its tenants who find themselves in rent arrears. The Debt Management Unit working with our tenants have managed to reduce the arrears in over 3,000 cases this year so far and continue to work positively with all our tenants to help address their arrears."
Clondalkin Councillor Francis Timmons told Dublin Live that he and other councillors are currently advocating for rents to not be increased in south Dublin in light of the cost of living crisis. He said: "I and other councillors have and continue to advocate to keep low rents as we want to ensure everyone has a home, I ask that people work with the council and their local councillors to ensure they can afford there accommodation and plan our their budget.
"The council are committed to working with families who find themselves struggling and eviction is always a last option. No-one wants to evict families, the cost of living crisis has added to the struggle for many, but I would urge anyone in debt to contact SDCC and do a repayment plan."
Cllr Timmons described the Debt Management Unit as being a "very important service in SDCC that works to keep people in their homes’. He added: "I would advise those struggling to seek assistance from Vincent De Paul rather than fall behind on rent and to also work with MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) to come up with a personalised weekly budget plan. Tenants should also be advising SDCC of any change in their financial circumstance."
It comes as Dublin City Council, the largest local authority, is owed the highest amount of arrears at €38,484,000, the Irish Times reports. It also has the highest number of tenants who owe in excess of €20,000 at 144.
A council spokeswoman from Dublin City Council said it takes legal action on an “ongoing basis” against tenants who do not engage with them. Between January and July 2022, 101 tenancy warnings were issued by the council, 38 cases had been heard by the District Court, while 98 cases were scheduled to end by the end of the year. There were also five orders of possession by the end of July, the council said.
Among the other Dublin councils Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is owed €5,811,285, while Fingal County Council is owed €8,600,000 in unpaid rent by tenants.
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