RPZ exemption 'substantial change' in the nature of the accommodation

[Marobar1]

I'm a landlord with a house in a Rent Pressure zone that is getting rental income of €1,300 when similar properties are advertised for €2,500.
I'm thinking of serving the tenant notice and applying for a substantial change exemption.

I can meet 3 of the criteria for the exemption if I convert a very large living space to 2 smaller living spaces and do the necessary changes required to push the BER up 2 places (i.e. new boiler, insulate the attic etc.)

The criteria for this exemption is as follows:
At least 3 of the following:-
A permanent alteration to the internal layout;
An adaptation for use and access by persons with a disability;
A permanent increase in the number of rooms;
An improvement in the BER by three or more ratings, where the BER is D1 or lower;
An improvement in the BER by two or more ratings, where the BER is C3 or higher.


So my question/(s) is, does this renovation qualify as a substantial change? Is there somewhere that I can get advice to ensure I am playing by the rules?
My alternative is leaving the property idle for 2 years but €30k of mortgage payments over this time would be difficult to justify, at least the BER upgrades would be beneficial even if it meant a cost outlay.

Thanks in advance for any advice or comments

 

[DannyBoyD]

Is there somewhere that I can get advice to ensure I am playing by the rules

From my experience, the answer is no.

RTB will only assess your application after the fact & I couldn't get a clear answer if they would do the assessment on a new rent before I signed a lease with a tenant.

In the end I took the decision to leave it empty for two years; I'm doing refurb myself, so dont mind the time investment.

Market rent will be double previous rent (after refurb also); so for me it's short term loss for long term gain.

 

[Marobar1]

Thanks for the response, we'll probably sell up so. I'll call the PRTB tomorrow to see if they'll give me any assurances, but I'm not expecting much.