Rental sector risks return to ‘lax days of Celtic Tiger’ due to inspection cuts
Warning over ‘virtual regulation’ as €2.5m slashed from home assessment budget
THE Government has cut funding on rental inspections as new figures reveal a 40% rise in virtual checks on rented houses and apartments last year.
The revelation comes amid claims that a lack of regulation in the crisis-hit rental sector will result in ‘a slide back to the lax standards of the Celtic Tiger’.
Figures released in Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien’s response to parliamentary queries from Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan reveal the number of virtual inspections on rental homes increased from 1,388 out of 25,703 in 2020 to 4,683 out of 11,817 in the first nine months of last year.
This is three times the number of virtual inspections carried out in 2020.
Significantly, figures secured by Mr O’Callaghan also revealed the funding for rental inspections has been cut from €12.5m in 2021 to €10m for this year.
Commenting on the figures, the Social Democrats’ housing spokesman expressed concern over the increasing reliance on virtual inspections.
He told the MoS: ‘Those who have real issues with landlords will have genuine concerns about the concept of virtual regulation. The minister may be well-intentioned, but it looks like a slide back to the lax standards of
‘He needs to go back to the drawing board’
the Celtic Tiger. We do not have virtual regulation of pubs and restaurants, so why is it appropriate for the critical life-issue of a roof over a person’s head? He needs to go back to the drawing board on this issue.’
According to the 2019 Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, rented houses must be inspected on a range of matters such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil, and electrical supplies.
In response to Mr O’Callaghan’s queries, Mr O’Brien said: ‘All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations.
‘Responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority.
‘As set down in [Government homebuilding plan] Housing For All, I believe that the potential offered by a virtual inspection approach needs to be fully explored. This is being done through an ongoing process of evaluation.’
Mr O’Brien explained that a virtual inspection is carried out ‘when a decision is made on whether or not a dwelling is compliant with the regulations, based on a review of the landlord’s completed self-assessment checklist’.
He added: ‘This includes photographic video evidence provided and the local authority’s engagement with the tenant in respect of any non-compliance issues they may be aware of and whether or not they can confirm if the landlord’s checklist answers are correct.’
However, Mr O’Callaghan said virtual inspections are far more limited than physical checks that are carried out in person.
He added: ‘Let us be clear, virtual inspections are not actually inspections.
‘They involve a landlord filling out a selfassessment form and submitting some photos. There is no physical inspection. There is nothing independent about it. There is no ability for an inspector to smell damp or for them to see anything that a landlord may not want him or her to see.
‘There is, in fact, no inspection at all – it is not an inspection.’ Mr O’Brien pointed out that the pandemic meant on-site rental inspections were not permitted ‘for long periods in 2020 and 2021’. He added that those measures were necessary at that time ‘to protect tenants, landlords and inspectors’. The minister added that when restrictions were relaxed, ‘there was still a reluctance on the part of some tenants to allow authorised inspectors access their homes’.
He said: ‘Inspections have been and continue to be frustrated by some tenants needing to self-isolate due to having Covid-19 or being a close contact.’
In response, Mr O’Brien said some local authorities piloted virtual inspections, which were funded by his department.
The minister added: ‘No target is set specifically for virtual inspections and local authorities have the discretion to use whichever inspection type they deem most appropriate to a situation.’
‘There is, in fact, no inspection at all’