Longford County Council 2023 rent review

There will be no additional rise in rents for Non-Contributory Old Age Pensioners renting from the council in the forthcoming review.
Rents are going to rise for many Longford County Council tenants as the local authority prepares to undertake a rent review. Members of the Longford local authority were told that there will be no additional increase for OAP in the review.

A number of years ago following consultation with the elected members and with its powers conferred under the Local Government Acts, the Management Team of Longford County Council made, by executive decision, a number of amendments to the Local Authority Rent Review.
The scope of the Appeal Process was widened to facilitate cases of financial hardship, with the onus being on the tenant to provide evidence of such.

A cap of €35 on the principal tenant plus €15 for every subsequent occupier, was placed on tenancies where the principal tenant is in receipt of the Non-Contributory Old Age Pension, with the onus being on the tenant to contact the Local Authority and to provide evidence of such.
Income derived from the scheme will be ring fenced for the maintenance and improvement of Local Authority Housing Units.

Those amendments included provision for a full Local Authority Rent Review to be carried out every three years from 2019 onward.
At the November meeting of the council, Cllr John Browne asked if the current review would change the provisions in place for tenants in receipt of the Non-Contributory Old Age Pension: “In the case where there are two OAPs living in the one house, will it be double the cap?”

Director of Services John Brannigan replied: “Under the Rent Review there will be no additional increase for pensioners.”