Landlords are threatening to impose a water charge deposit on tenants, if the Government goes ahead with plans that would make the owner of a property liable for unpaid water bills.

Fine Gael is facing a new crisis after several of its councillors in Donegal last night supported a motion to scrap water charges.

Irish Water is finalising measures to go after tenants who do not pay water charges amid growing confusion among landlords and renters about the new tariff.

As landlords and tenants heap criticism upon the Government for its latest cap on rent supplements, opposition party politicians have warned the payment could be cut again in this year’s budget if social welfare payments are to be preserved.

It has just gone beyond acceptability that we are exposed to this further charge when the NPPR/household charges are also for services to our tenants at our premises.

Forget squatter’s rights — it was squatter’s flight yesterday after it emerged that a man who won his claim to a property he had broken into 30 years ago had left the country.

LANDLORDS are threatening legal action over the introduction of a €200 tax on rental or holiday homes which the Government plans to impose as early as next month.

ACCOUNTANTS in Munster saw an average pay rise of 7% last year, bringing average salaries in the sector to almost €84,000.

Margaret McCormick, FCA, has been elected the first woman chairwoman of the Cork Society of Chartered Accountants (CSCA), succeeding Billy O’Connor.