Councils enact powers to crack down on problem tenants

There were at least 4,089 complaints regarding alleged antisocial behaviour (ASB) in 21 local authority areas last year — and the number of difficult tenants removed from their homes could rise this year as councils enact new powers.

A trawl of statistics from many of the country’s local authorities found that some incurred very little, if any, cost regarding ASB in council properties, yet one — Dublin City Council — had a legal bill of almost €162,000 last year as a result of dealing with ASB cases.

Separate figures also indicate an increase in the number of cases of alleged antisocial behaviour involving private rental properties and being dealt with by the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).