Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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215. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of private rented accommodation inspections carried out by local authorities in each of the years 2018 to 2022, and to date in 2023; the number of inspections in which further enforcement action was taken, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10736/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with the standards set down in the Regulations.

Responsibility for the enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 in the private rental sector rests with the relevant local authority.

While 2022 inspection data in respect of some local authorities is currently being validated by my Department, circa 49,000 inspections of private rented dwellings were undertaken last year.

The Government is committed to ensuring that a stock of high quality accommodation is available for those who live in the private rented sector. Housing for All sets a target for the inspection of 25% of all private residential tenancies. A total of €9 million in Exchequer funding is being made available by my Department to local authorities this year to help them meet their private rental inspection targets.

Annual data in respect of the level of inspections and enforcement carried out by each local authority is available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/da3fe-private-housing-market-statistics/

Data in respect of 2022 and 2023 will be uploaded in due course.