Labour Councillor Helen Ogbu has called for an immediate clamp down on rental charge loopholes
The by-election candidate has called for urgent action to strengthen renters’ rights
Her call follows reports that a couple in Galway City were charged close to €14,000 in additional service charges by their landlord over the course of a year
They received only a fraction of the money back following an appeal to the Residential Tenancies Board.
Councillor Ogbu says reports in The Journal today that tenants were charged €1,200 every month on top of their rent in additional service charges points to a system where basic protections for renters are simply not strong enough.
She added landlords should not be able to get around rent rules by adding on extra charges that place huge financial strain on tenants.
