Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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199. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of inspections of private rented accommodation carried out by local authorities in 2019 and to date in 2020; the findings of those inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35930/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. With very limited exemptions, these apply to all private rented residential accommodation.

All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties, regardless of tenancy type, comply with these regulations. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.

Data in respect of inspections undertaken by local authorities in 2019 and to the end of June 2020 is set out in the table below. Q3 data is being collated.

Pandemic restrictions have greatly reduced the number of inspections carried out this year.

My Department has made significant Exchequer funding available to local authorities in recent years, with the result that the number of inspections undertaken more than doubled from 19,645 in 2017 to 40,998 in 2019, with a similar increase in the number of properties becoming compliant from 3,329 to 7,206. In order to assist local authorities increase inspection rates further and strengthen compliance, an increased budget of €10m has been approved for 2021.

Detailed information in relation to inspections carried out by each local authority since 2005 is available on my Department's website at the following link:

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