Sir, – According to your article “Residential Tenancy Board Fines Landlords” (News, October 30th), “In rent pressure zones, an increase in rent cannot exceed the rate of inflation by more than 2 per cent”.
This gives the impression that rent can be increased by the rate of inflation plus a maximum of 2 per cent when in actual fact the RTB site states that “rent previously set, cannot increase by more than 2 per cent per year pro rata, where HICP inflation is higher”. Thus rent in a pressure zone can only increase by a maximum of 2 per cent regardless of the rate of inflation, a very different scenario! Thus once more, while other services can increase their prices to cater for the effects of inflation the landlord cannot.
– Yours, etc,
JO TRESTON,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.
