Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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275. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the action he will take to ensure an improvement in the standard of one bedroom rental accommodation; if he is satisfied with the current level of inspections on such properties being carried out by local authorities; the steps that can be taken by local authorities to compel landlords to improve the standards of their lettings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8559/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 275 together.

Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, as amended by the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992.

The Regulations specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and safety of gas and electrical supply.  With very limited exemptions, these regulations apply to local authority and voluntary housing units as well as private rented residential accommodation.

All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations.  Responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority, supported by a dedicated stream of funding provided from part of the proceeds of tenancy registration fees collected by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). 

Since the establishment of the RTB in 2004, over €32 million has been paid to local authorities to assist them in the performance of their functions under the Housing Acts, including the inspection of rented accommodation.  Over 185,000 inspections have been carried out in this period. 

Following enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, local authorities have a strengthened legislative framework available to them which provides for the issuing of Improvement Notices and Prohibition Notices where landlords are in breach of their obligations.  Fines for non-compliance with the regulations were also increased; the maximum fine increased from €3,000 to €5,000 and the fine for each day of a continuing offence increased from €250 to €400.

The Government’s Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, sets out a number of actions in relation to Standards with the combined aim of improving the quality and management of rental accommodation. My Department conducted a review of the existing Regulations in 2016 to bring them into line with modern requirements, with a focus on tenant safety including new measures covering heating appliances, carbon monoxide and window safety. On 27 January, I signed the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017 giving effect to the commitment in the Strategy.  The new regulations will come into operation generally on 1 July 2017 and will replace the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 and the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009.

The Strategy for the Rental Sectoralso prioritises strengthening the inspection capacity of Local Authorities to increase the number and frequency of inspections of rental properties.  In addition to the updated regulations, procedures for a more efficient, standardised and transparent inspection and enforcement approach across all Local Authority areas will be introduced. Specific ring-fenced funding for inspection and compliance activity will be identified from 2018 onwards and annual targets for both inspection and compliance will be agreed with local authorities. The objective set out in the Strategy is to increase inspection numbers incrementally each year so that, by 2021, 25% of all rental properties are inspected annually.