Landlord-tenant disputes reported to rental property watchdog up sharply

The number of disputes between landlords and tenants reported to the rental property watchdog increased sharply last year.

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) said there was a 20% increase in the number of applications for dispute resolution during 2016.

A total of 4,837 cases were notified to the RTB — more than 800 more cases than in 2015. Almost 60% of all cases were initiated by tenants.