Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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623. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of the case of persons (details supplied); if he will request his Department to investigate this matter to ensure that landlords are fulfilling their legal obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17011/25]

James Browne (Wexford, 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. In this regard the tenant may wish to contact Dublin City Council's private rental inspection team at 01 2226500 or and, if they haven't already done so, request an inspection of the property to assess whether it meets these minimum requirements.

Failure to comply with the minimum standards can result in penalties and prosecution. Local authorities can serve Improvement Notices and Prohibition Notices on landlords who breach the minimum standards regulations. An Improvement Notice sets out the works that the landlord must carry out to remedy a breach of the regulations.

The Government is committed to ensuring that a stock of high quality accommodation is available for those who live in the private rented sector. A total of €10.5 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.

The number of rental inspections conducted by local authorities has quadrupled in recent years. Increasing from an average of 20,000 a year in the period 2005 to 2017 to over 49,000 in 2022, over 63,500 in 2023, and an all-time-high of over 80,000 in 2024.

Complaints against property service providers (i.e. auctioneers, estate agents, letting agents and management agents) may be referred to the Property Services Regulatory Authority. Details are available on their website at .

The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. In the event that the dispute cannot be resolved between the parties, the matter may be referred for the Residential Tenancies Board's (RTB) free mediation service, where an independent mediator helps both parties come up with a solution that is mutually beneficial. Alternatively, parties can apply for adjudication with the RTB where an independent adjudicator makes a finding based on the evidence related to the case.

Further information on dispute resolutions can be accessed here: .