Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O'Sullivan, TD, has said that she is examining potential changes to the law to provide greater clarity to tenants when a receiver is appointed to their rented accommodation.

Minister O'Sullivan made her comments as she acknowledged the work the Irish Banking Federation (IBF) has done in producing an information leaflet entitled, 'A Residential Tenant's Guide to Receivership'.

She said: "The numbers of receivers appointed to rental properties is increasing and this can be a very confusing time for tenants who often feel caught between their established landlord and the newly appointed receiver. For most tenants this is an entirely new situation and it is incumbent on all involved in this process to give tenants certainty and clarity. The new IBF information guide is a valuable contribution in this regard."

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The guide explains that where a receiver is appointed to a rented residential property the rent should be paid directly to the receiver and that a receipt should be given by the receiver to the tenant. The leaflet also advises that urgent repair requests should be directed to the receiver in the first instance. The guide also addresses the question as to who should return the tenant's deposit in a receivership situation. While individual receivers may return a deposit, the legal responsibility for return rests with the landlord to whom the deposit was originally paid.

(CD/MH)