Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
403. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost to increase resources to local authorities to increase the rate of private rent inspections from less than 8% to 20% per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21167/20]
View answerThe Strategy for the Rental Sector set out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems.
The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supply. My Department also published a guidance document to assist and support local authorities in implementing these Regulations.
All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations and responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.
The Rental Strategy recognises the need for additional resources to be provided to local authorities to aid increased inspections of properties and ensure greater compliance with the Regulations. Provision was made for €2.5 million to be made available to local authorities in 2018, to aid increased inspections of rental properties, increasing to €4.5 million in 2019 with corresponding inspection rate targets of 10% and 15% respectively. This has enabled local authorities to build inspection capacity incrementally. Significant progress has been made across the sector. The number of inspections more than doubled from 19,645 in 2017 to 40,998 in 2019.
The 2020 inspection rate target is 20% and €6 million of Exchequer funding has been made available to local authorities, with the intention of a further increase next year to facilitate a targeted inspection rate of 25% of registered tenancies in 2021.
Detailed information in relation to inspections carried out by each Local Authority since 2005, can be found on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-building-and-private-rented/private-housing-market-statistics
