New tenants’ handbook prepared by Council

A NEW tenants’ handbook which will make people aware of their responsibilities and encourage them to play an active part in maintaining a high-quality local environment around them is being prepared by Meath County Council as part of a new management plan for its properties in the county.

The Council owns 3,700 properties worth an estimated total €925 million.

The Council has 13 steps in an action plan which it intends to implement during this year, three of them in the first quarter including preparation of the tenants’ handbook, a review of the wording of tenancy agreements, and a review of current tenancy training arangements and the setting up of procedures for pre- and post-tenancy.

Quarter two will see the Council hosting an information event for residents’ associations and the carrying out of an audit of community facilities and public realm in its municipal districts.

The third quarter of the year will include actions like the carrying out of an audit of tenancy stock and later in the year there will be a preparation of a new ‘Reaching out to old tenants’ policy to include a strengthening of relationships between these tenants and the Council.

That final quarter of 2022 will also include estate management pilot initiatives including creating and maintaining clean and pleasant environments where people want to live, and strengthening community participation.

The aim of the new management plan will be to develop a proactive approach to the management of the Council’s properties, estates and neighbourhoods.

It’s also the intention of the Council to strengthen connections with the Garda so as to develop a partnership approach to tackling antisocial behaviour.

Outlining the plan to Councillors, officials said it aims to do as much as possible to ensure that its estates are peaceful, clean and pleasant environments. "This Housing Estate Management Strategy sets out how Meath County Council’s Housing Department will take the lead in ensuring high quality management of its tenancies and estates". The Council said. A key focus of the strategy is to develop strong relationships between the Council and its tenants.

In the latest figures on housing management (year 2020), the Council said it had had 530 complaints about antisocial behaviour, 281 pre-tenancy consultations were carried out and there had been 5,690 requests for maintenance of properties. There had also been two requests for "rightsizing". The total cost of meeting these requests was €4,642,385.