Standards for Private Rented Dwellings
The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 apply to all privately-owned homes and approved housing bodies (AHB’S) which are rented or available to rent. These standards are set out in the Regulations and all landlords and approved housing bodies (AHB’s)have a legal duty ensure your rented home meets these standards.
Some areas covered under Minimum Standards include the following:
• Structural Condition, Regulation 4
• Sanitary Facilities, Regulation 5
• Heating Facilities, Regulation 6
• Food Preparation, Storage and Laundry, Regulation 7
• Ventilation, Regulation 8
• Lighting, Regulation 9
• Fire Safety, Regulation 10
• Refuse Facilities, Regulation 11
• Gas, Oil and Electricity, Regulation 12
• Information, Regulation 13
How are the regulations enforced?
• We arrange inspections, which can be carried out by
o Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Housing Inspectors
o HSE Environmental Health Officers
o Private Contractors – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown engage the services of private contractors to conduct inspections on our behalf. In December 2023, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown procured the services of ORS to conduct visual inspections. Further information on ORS can be accessed here. ORS will be contacting landlords and tenants to arrange visual inspections of rented properties.
• We try to contact the landlord in advance of the inspection however, there is no legal requirement for us to do that.
• If inspectors are stopped from carrying out their duties, penalties may be applied which may include prosecution in the District Court.
• If you are a tenant and you believe your rented property does not comply with minimum standards, you should discuss this with the landlord, whether you are renting from a private landlord or an Approved Housing Body.
• If the property is below the minimum standards and the landlord refuses to carry out repairs as required you can contact our Housing Standards Section by using the Complaint Form
• Only complaints received on the Complaint Form can be investigated by the Housing Standards Section.
What happens after an inspection?
• After an inspection of a property, if there are issues of non-compliance landlords are issued with an Improvement Letter which outlines the issues of non-compliance and a timeframe for the issues to be remedied. The landlord is also advised that a follow up inspection will be organised.
• If landlords continue to fail to remedy the issues in a property, we can issue an Improvement Notice. An Improvement Notice is the first step in enforcement of the Housing Standards Regulations. The Improvement Notice outlines the works that must be carried out to bring the property to compliance with the Housing Standards Regulations.
An Improvement Notice can be served after an initial inspection or after a subsequent inspection has been carried out of the rented house. It is not necessary for correspondence to have been sent to the landlord, such as an Improvement Letter, prior to an Improvement Notice being served.
• If a landlord does not do the necessary works to the property, we can issue a Prohibition Notice which prohibits the landlord from re-letting the property until it reaches compliance with the Housing Standards Regulations. If a landlord is served with a Prohibition Notice by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, it means we are of the opinion that the landlord has failed to comply with the Improvement Notice.
• If the landlord re-lets the property while in breach of a Prohibition Notice
they may be prosecuted and on conviction, may be subject to a fine not exceeding €5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both along with a daily fine of €400 for a continuing offence.
Prohibition Notices are served under Section 18B Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 (as amended). The following are the current Prohibition Notices served:
- Apt. 64 Redwood, Ridge Hall, Shanganagh Road, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 5 Sanitary Facilities, Reg 6 Heating Facilities, Reg 7 Food Preparation & Laundry, Reg 9 Lighting, Reg 10 Fire Safety.
- 67 St Patrick’s Crescent, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 6 Heating Facilities, Reg 8 Ventilation, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 12 GAS Oil & Electricity.
- 8 Abbey View, Monkstown, Co. Dublin – Flat 1.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 12 GAS Oil & Electricity.
- 8 Abbey View, Monkstown, Co. Dublin – Flat 2.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 6 Heating Facilities, Reg 12 GAS Oil & Electricity.
- 8 Abbey View, Monkstown, Co. Dublin – Flat 3.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 5 Sanitary Facilities, Reg 6 Heating Facilities, Reg 7 Food Preparation, Storage & Laundry, Reg 8 Ventilation, Reg 9 Lighting, Reg 10 Fire Safety.
- 8 Abbey View, Monkstown, Co. Dublin – Common Area.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 12 GAS, Oil & Electricity.
- Apt. 70 Ridge Hall, Shanganagh Road, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 6 Heating Facilities, Reg 7 Food Preparation, Storage & Laundry, Reg 9 Lighting, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 11 Refuse.
- Apt 11 Old Castle View, Kilgobbin Road, Sandyford, D18.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 6 Heating Facilities, Reg 7 Food Preparation, Reg 12 Gas, Oil & Electricity.
- Common Area – Old Castle View, Kilgobbin Road, Sandyford, D18.
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 12 Gas, Oil & Electricity.
- 57 O’Rourke Park, Sallynoggin, Co. Dublin
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 7 Food Preparation, Reg 8 Ventilation, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 12 GAS, Oil & Electricity.
- Apt. 7 Old Castle View, Kilgobbin Road, Dublin 18
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 7 Food Preparation, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 12 GAS, Oil & Electricity.
- Apt. 9 Old Castle View, Kilgobbin Road, Dublin 18
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 7 Food Preparation, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 12 GAS, Oil & Electricity.
- Apt. 69 Redwood, Ridge Hall, Shanganagh Road, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin
Non-compliance under Reg 4 Structural Condition, Reg 5 Sanitary Facilities, Reg 6 Heating Facilities, Reg 7 Food Preparation, Storage & Laundry, Reg 8 Ventilation, Reg 9 Lighting, Reg 10 Fire Safety, Reg 11 Refuse, Reg 12 GAS Oil & Electricity.
Contact details for our Housing Standards Section:
Phone 01-2054334 or by email standards@dlrcoco.ie