COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (1)

Monday, November 17, 2008

QUESTION NO. 12

QUESTION: Councillor S. Crowe

To ask the Manager to write to and  call on the Private Residential Tenancies Board to carry out an initial sampling and inspection of rented accomodation in the Springfield and Raheen areas of Tallaght regarding the possible health and safety implications of many of the rented accomodation in the South Dublin County Council area.

REPLY:

The inspection of private rented properties to assess their suitablility under the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993 still rests with the Local Authority.  The Environmental Health Officers carry out this function on behalf of South Dublin County Council, with the cost being met out of funding received from the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).  A portion of the tenancy registration fees, paid by landlords to the PRTB, is used to cover the costs associated with the inspection regime.  

When the Rental Accommodation Scheme commenced in South Dublin County Council the management of inspections of private rented properties became one of the functions of the RAS Unit.  This made sense as one of the objectives of RAS was to raise the standard of accommodation available in the private rented market.  Inspections must be carried out on all properties before they can be transferred into RAS. 

At present the Environmental Health Officers are giving priority to inspecting properties which are being contracted into RAS, however on receipt of complaints about any property arrangements are made immediately to carry out an inspection to assess whether or not the standards are being met.  The owner is then given a list of any necessary works required to bring the property up to a condition which, meets the standards and a time frame within which to carry out the works.  A re-inspection is then arranged and ultimately legal proceedings may be taken if the owner refuses or fails to deal with the necessary works required.

It should be noted that the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993 are currently being reviewed, a public consultation process was completed recently and the outcome of this process is awaited. 

Properties being contracted into RAS are required not alone to pass the standards but to meet additional criteria mainly associated with equipment and decor.

If there are specific properties requiring inspection this can be arranged on receipt of the details.