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 rests with the relevant local authority.
Last year local authorities conducted an all-time high of over 49,000 inspections of private rented dwellings, up from circa 25,000 in 2020 and 20,000 in 2021, when pandemic restrictions had impacted on inspections. Figures for the first half of 2023 show that more than 32,000 inspections were conducted.
The 'Total Inspections Carried Out' figures quoted on the Department website include re-inspections of dwellings that were deemed non-compliant on initial inspection. Local authorities may need to carry out more than one inspection of a dwelling before it can be deemed compliant with the regulations.
Further inspection details for 2022 are set out in the table below:
|
Local Authority
|
RAS* Inspections carried out 2022
|
HAP*
Inspections
carried out
2022
|
Complaint-based Inspections
carried out
2022
|
Other**
Inspections carried out 2022
|
Total
Inspections carried out 2022
|
Total Dwellings Inspected 2022
|
|
Carlow
|
21
|
17
|
198
|
174
|
410
|
410
|
|
Cavan
|
2
|
30
|
12
|
317
|
361
|
342
|
|
Clare
|
137
|
360
|
37
|
524
|
1058
|
996
|
|
Cork City
|
50
|
4082
|
47
|
3868
|
8047
|
5936
|
|
Cork
|
8
|
1404
|
45
|
241
|
1698
|
1679
|
|
Donegal
|
79
|
710
|
0
|
916
|
1705
|
1651
|
|
Dublin City
|
268
|
2433
|
632
|
3199
|
6532
|
5909
|
|
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
|
102
|
768
|
48
|
1238
|
2156
|
1323
|
|
Fingal
|
39
|
1706
|
9
|
5927
|
7681
|
6113
|
|
Galway City
|
10
|
106
|
0
|
17
|
133
|
133
|
|
Galway County
|
33
|
1704
|
19
|
123
|
1879
|
1106
|
|
Kerry
|
88
|
570
|
6
|
431
|
1095
|
902
|
|
Kildare
|
4
|
644
|
67
|
23
|
738
|
710
|
|
Kilkenny
|
51
|
322
|
7
|
68
|
448
|
365
|
|
Laois
|
13
|
540
|
13
|
594
|
1160
|
1098
|
|
Leitrim
|
62
|
157
|
2
|
200
|
421
|
309
|
|
Limerick City & County
|
185
|
653
|
44
|
11
|
893
|
731
|
|
Longford
|
81
|
179
|
5
|
0
|
265
|
202
|
|
Louth
|
3
|
710
|
23
|
169
|
905
|
846
|
|
Mayo
|
274
|
570
|
33
|
6
|
883
|
701
|
|
Meath
|
1
|
1558
|
1
|
0
|
1560
|
1560
|
|
Monaghan
|
2
|
76
|
1
|
387
|
466
|
459
|
|
Offaly
|
4
|
319
|
0
|
66
|
389
|
331
|
|
Roscommon
|
64
|
436
|
58
|
70
|
628
|
457
|
|
Sligo
|
148
|
397
|
8
|
389
|
942
|
612
|
|
South Dublin
|
199
|
2541
|
41
|
848
|
3629
|
2787
|
|
Tipperary
|
91
|
424
|
20
|
66
|
601
|
578
|
|
Waterford City & County
|
53
|
256
|
5
|
1
|
315
|
277
|
|
Westmeath
|
60
|
395
|
23
|
246
|
724
|
603
|
|
Wexford
|
18
|
518
|
58
|
101
|
695
|
654
|
|
Wicklow
|
73
|
713
|
21
|
84
|
891
|
502
|
|
TOTALS
|
2223
|
25298
|
1483
|
20304
|
49308
|
40282
|
* It is a requirement of both the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme that the property meets the minimum standards for rental accommodation.
** 'Other' inspections includes inspections conducted as a result of random selection from tenancy databases and of proactive targeting.
