Anti-social behaviour in some rental properties

THERE are problems associated with certain rental properties in Shannon, it was claimed at the June meeting of Shannon Town Council, while existing regulations aren’t strong enough, it was also claimed.
Councillor Gerry Flynn proposed that the council write to people involved in letting property to advise them of their obligations. He said that people living near rental properties don’t want an awful lot. “All neighbours want is three things. One is adequate waste disposal. Two, proper appearance of rental property and three is not to have anti-social behaviour.”
People renting can have a different outlook to people who have bought houses, Councillor Tony McMahon claimed. “To one person, a rented property can be a very temporary place. To someone else, their house can be a lifetime investment and sometimes, there is only a 2ft wall between them,” the councillor added.
He said that there is a need for legislation rather than guidelines and that it should be enforced by the gardaí.
Councillor Seán McLoughlin said that people are employed to check on TV licences, so it should be in order to inspect if people are disposing of their rubbish properly. Councillor Greg Duff said that gardaí have difficulties dealing with anti-social behaviour and that more needs to be done to combat it.
“The legislation is not strong enough and there is not enough policing,” he said.
Summing up, Councillor Flynn said that some people in Shannon have been left in fear of “gurriers” and he said that great use should be made of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.