COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 08, 2019

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor Emma Hendrick

The time it has taken to re-let dwellings has nearly tripled from Jan 2018 with a time of 8.14 weeks to Jan 2019 with a time frame of 23.13 weeks. Why has there been such an increase in time? Can the chief executive make a statement on the matter? 

REPLY:

The figure quoted at the start of 2018 represented the average duration for the time taken for re-let/refurbishment works undertaken on vacant Council stock. It should be noted that this did not include timeframe that arose where properties where ready for allocation but were vacant awaiting allocation/occupancy by new tenants.  The calculating mechanism now includes the time period from the actual date of surrender of a Council rented dwelling up to the date of a sign-up/occupancy by a new tenant.

The average time taken for re-lets in 2018 was approximately 17 weeks and while this and the figure for early 2019 are higher than desirable, this has been due allocation challenges with the numbers of new homes being delivered under the social housing construction programme as well as consequential transfers increasing the demand on direct labour and contractor resources to turnaround vacant properties.

To address and improve these timeframes, the Housing Department is:

• improving allocation, offering and pre-tenancy check procedures;
• finalising the appointment of new tenderer(s) for re-let repairs to complement direct labour staff works ;
• tightening management of transfers in terms of condition of property and timeframes for moving belongings from one property to another.