Finian McGrath
Question:306. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding legislation in respect of rented accommodation (details supplied). [20256/14]
View answerTuesday, 6 May 2014
Questions (306)
Written answers
On 1 February 2013, Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 came into effect for all residential rented accommodation. Responsibility for enforcement of minimum standards rests with local authorities.
The revised standards in the 2008 Regulations were based on a review of minimum standards dating back to 1993 which tolerated very basic facilities such as external toilets, cold water only and having an open fireplace as the only heating source. Minimum standards are necessary as a protection to all consumers and especially to the most vulnerable who may not be in a position to protect themselves adequately.
The purpose of Article 6 of the Regulations is to ensure that each rental property has exclusive access to its own sanitary facilities and that those facilities are contained within the dwelling unit. Article 7 relates to effective heating which can be independently managed by the tenant, while Article 8 provides for sole access to adequate facilities for the hygienic storage, preparation and cooking of food. The objective of the revised standards is to improve the quality of accommodation in this part of the housing market by providing for clean, safe and secure facilities. It should be noted that the 2008 Regulations came into effect generally on 1 February 2009 but allowed a generous four year phasing - in period to facilitate any improvement works that needed to be carried out in respect of Articles 6, 7 and 8. Landlords affected by these changes should have engaged with their tenants during this time to discuss the implications of any works that needed to be carried out on their properties.