COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 09, 2011

QUESTION NO 1.

QUESTION: Councillor B. Bonner

To ask the Manager what powers he has to ensure that landlords keep their rented properties and their gardens properly maintained?

REPLY:  Every rented dwelling must comply with the statutory Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 which set the minimum standards for rented property--this includes keeping the garden neat and tidy.

To monitor compliance the council inspects properties on a pro active programme and also provides a response inspection service when complaints are received from tenants or members of the public. The inspections have traditionally been carried out by the Environmental Health Officers.On foot of a recent arrangement, the efforts of the EHOs will now be augmented by the staff of the Architectural Services Department with a view to having every rented property in the county inspected every 4 years.

Where a property is found to be in breach and the breach is not rectified, legal action may be taken. As most of the residential stock of property in South Dublin is at most 40 years old, the standard of rented properties is very good. Where issues of non compliance are discovered they are usually put right at the request of the inspector without recourse to legal action.

If the councillor has a specific property in mind and he/she supplies the address, arrangements will be made to have it inspected immediately.