PART I

Preliminary and General

1. —(1) This Act may be cited as the Housing (Private Rented Dwellings) Act, 1982.

(2) This Act shall come into operation on such day as the Minister may appoint by order.

2. —(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—

“the Court” means the District Court;

“dwelling” means a house let as a separate dwelling, or a part so let, of any house, whether or not the tenant shares with any other persons any portion thereof or any accommodation, amenity or facility in connection therewith;

“housing authority” means—-

(a) in the case of a county, exclusive of any borough or urban district therein, the council of the county,

(b) in the case of a county or other borough, the corporation of the borough, and

(c) in the case of an urban district, the council of the district,

and references to the functional area of a housing authority shall be construed accordingly;

“landlord” means the person for the time being entitled to receive (otherwise than as agent for another person) the rent payable in respect of a dwelling;

“the Minister” means the Minister for the Environment.

(2) A reference in this Act to a Part or a section is to a Part or a section of this Act unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended.

(3) A reference in this Act to a subsection, paragraph or other division is to the subsection, paragraph or other division of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended.

3. —The expenses incurred by the Minister in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.

4. —(1) Where a notice or claim under this Act or any regulations made thereunder is to be given to or served on a person, it shall be addressed to him and shall be given to or served on him in some one of the following ways:

(a) where it is addressed to him by name, by delivering it to him;

(b) by leaving it at the address at which he ordinarily resides or, in a case in which an address for service has been furnished, at that address;

(c) by sending it by post in a prepaid registered letter addressed to him at the address at which he ordinarily resides or, in a case in which an address for service has been furnished, at that address.

(2) For the purposes of this section, a company registered under the Companies Acts, 1963 and 1977, shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident at its registered office, and every other body corporate and every unincorporated body shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident at its principal office or place of business.

(3) Where a notice or claim under this Act or any regulations made thereunder is given or served on behalf of a person, it shall be deemed to be given or served by that person.

5. —Every regulation made under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either such House within the next subsequent 21 days on which that House has sat after the regulation is laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

6. —The Rent Restrictions Act, 1960 , the Rent Restrictions (Amendment) Act, 1967 , and sections 10 and 11 of the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act, 1971 , are hereby repealed.