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 Regulations in the private rental sector rests with the relevant local authority.

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 of 25% for the inspection of all private residential tenancies. A total of €9 million in Exchequer funding is being made available this year by my Department to help local authorities meet their private rental inspection targets and ensure greater compliance with the Regulations.

My Department engages on an annual basis with all 31 local authority Chief Executives seeking detailed implementation plans, outlining how they intend to achieve their targets and the approach they plan to take to ensure proper and effective enforcement. If a property has been found to be non-compliant with the regulations, it is a matter for the local authority to determine what action is necessary and appropriate, including the issuing of an improvement letter, the serving of improvement or prohibition notices, or further legal recourse. My Department will work closely throughout the year with local authorities to support the achievement of these targets and ensure effective enforcement.

Local authorities conducted over 49,000 inspections of private rented dwellings in 2022, up from circa 25,000 in 2020 and 20,000 in 2021, when pandemic restrictions had impacted on inspections. Provisional data indicates that all-time high of over 63,000 inspections were conducted last year.

Annual data in respect of the level of inspections carried out by each local authority is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/da3fe-private-housing-market-statistics/. Full-year data in respect of 2023 is currently being collated and will be uploaded in due course.