Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 January 2014
200. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the number of inspections carried out on private rented accommodation in each local authority area in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1905/14]
View answer201. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the actions his Department is taking to address the low level of inspections carried out on private rented accommodation by some local authorities, for example, one local authority has only carried out 593 inspections over an eight year period from 2005 to 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1906/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos 200 and 201 together.
Minimum standards for rented accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, as amended, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations.
Details of the number of inspections carried out in 2013 are not yet available. The information is being sought from the local authorities and will be published in the private rented housing section of my Department’s website at www.environ.ie as soon as it has been compiled.
Responsibility for enforcing the regulations rests with the relevant local authority, supported by a dedicated stream of funding allocated by my Department from the monies set aside from the registration fees income received under section 137 of the Residential Tenancies Act. Every City and County Council conducted inspections in 2012 (the last year for which statistics have been compiled) and this has been the case for the past 7 years.
In 2012, over 19,000 inspections were carried out by local authorities and, since 2005, local authorities have carried out almost 130,000 inspections on private rented properties representing almost 50% of the properties currently registered for private rented accommodation. My Department keeps the standards under review and engages on a regular basis with representatives of the local authorities on their implementation and enforcement.
