New test to ensure landlords maintain properties

LANDLORDS who don’t maintain their properties could be hauled before the courts in a local test of new national legislation.

Cork’s city manager Joe Gavin said while the city council already had considerable powers to regulate the rental sector, he said he was willing to test new legislation by taking a test case to court.

His comments followed complaints from Labour Councillor Michael Ahern that City Hall was not doing enough to tackle badly maintained rented properties in Cork suburbs.