Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:139. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the vetting procedures in place for approving properties for the purposes of HAP tenancies. [11267/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 3 March 2022
Ceisteanna (139)
Freagraí scríofa
A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs, in their area of choice.
The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.
The HAP scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. Under section 41 of the 2014 Act, local authorities are required to commence the inspection process within 8 months of HAP support being provided in relation to a particular dwelling, if the dwelling was not already inspected within the previous 12 months. Local authorities carry out HAP inspections as part of their overall private rented inspections programme.
Given the need for inspectors to enter tenants’ homes, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions did impact on the inspection of all rented dwellings. The City and County Management Association’s (CCMA) Local Authority Services Frameworks for Future Covid-19 Pandemic Response did not permit on-site rental inspections from January 2021 until mid-July 2021. This was in order to protect tenants, landlords and inspectors. A revised Framework which issued on 13 July 2021 permitted the resumption of on-site rental inspections from 14 July 2021.
It is anticipated that €9 million could be spent on rental inspections in 2022. This compares to just under €2.8 million last year.