Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2021
203. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the four Dublin local authorities have had the inspections of private rental properties disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions; if so, the details of the extent of this disruption; and if his Department has provided guidance or support with respect to inspection of private rental properties. [37023/21]
View answerResponsibility for the enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 rests with the relevant local authority. With increased Exchequer funding provided by my Department, the number of rental inspections undertaken by all local authorities reached an all-time high in 2019 with 40,727 conducted. However, given the need for inspectors to enter tenants’ homes, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have impacted on the inspection of all rented dwellings, with the number of inspections falling to 25,703 in 2020.
The number of private rental inspections undertaken by the four Dublin local authorities in 2019 and 2020 are set out in the table below:
|
2019 |
2020 |
|
|
Dublin Local Authorities |
18,137 |
11,053* |
* Includes 1,226 virtual inspections
The City and County Management Association’s (CCMA) Local Authority Services Frameworks for Future Covid-19 Pandemic Response does not permit rental inspections at present. This is in order to protect tenants, landlords and inspectors. The CCMA Framework is developed in accordance with Government public health guidance and restrictions and is reviewed as necessary and in line with updated guidance and restrictions.
In response to the pandemic some local authorities have been piloting virtual inspections. Dublin City Council have led this initiative, which entails landlords receiving a checklist for self-assessment and being required to submit photographic/video evidence by email, tenants being invited to raise any non-compliance issues they are aware of and the Council reserving the right to conduct a physical on-site inspection when it is safe to do so.
While virtual inspection systems present certain challenges and limitations, they do offer a way of improving the standard of rental accommodation despite the pandemic. My Department is encouraging local authorities not involved in the pilots to consider adopting them and providing Exchequer funding to those that do.
Some 1,400 virtual inspections were undertaken in 2020 by Dublin City Council, Kildare County Council and Monaghan County Council. Q1 2021 saw nearly 1,900 virtual inspections conducted. There are now 20 local authorities participating in the pilot project, including all four Dublin local authorities.
Annual data in respect of the level of inspections carried out by each local authority is available on my Department's website at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/da3fe-private-housing-market-statistics/
