Housing Standards

The standards for private rented properties are set out in the above legislation. The main objective of these regulations is to establish minimum standards in private rented housing in order to protect the health and well-being of tenants. 

The regulations apply to all rented houses (both single and multi-occupancy) let for rent or available for letting with the following exemptions:

• A holiday home.
• Accommodation provided by the Health Service Executive or by an approved body, containing sanitary, cooking or dining facilities provided for communal use within the building.
• A house that is let by a housing authority pursuant to any of their functions under the Housing Acts, 1966 to 2004, and is a demountable house.

Main provisions of the 2019 regulations

• Structural condition – The purpose of this Regulation is to ensure that the rented house is in a proper state of structural repair.
• Sanitary facilities – The purpose of this Regulation relating to Sanitary Facilities is to ensure that each house has exclusive access to its own sanitary facilities and that those facilities are contained within the same habitable area of the house,
• Heating facilities – The purpose of this regulation is to ensure that each habitable room in the house has a fixed appliance or appliances, which are capable of providing effective heating.
• Food preparation and storage and laundry – This regulation requires that each house be provided with adequate facilities for the hygienic storage, preparation and cooking of food. Each house shall have sole and exclusive access to these facilities within the same habitable area of the house and with the exception of laundry facilities, sharing of these facilities between different lettings (houses) is not permitted.
• Ventilation – The purpose of Regulation 8 is to ensure that all houses are adequately ventilated and that all means of ventilation is maintained in good repair and working order.
• Lighting – Regulation 9 ensures that all habitable rooms have natural lighting and that all rooms have an adequate means of artificial lighting. It is not necessary under the Regulations that halls, stairs and landings have natural lighting but they should have adequate artificial lighting.
• Fire safety – Regulation 10 provides for improved fire safety measures in rented accommodation. It distinguishes between houses in multi-unit buildings and houses not forming part of a multiunit building.
• Refuse facilities – This Regulation requires that each house must have access to suitable pest and vermin-proof refuse storage facilities.
• Gas, Oil and Electricity – Regulation 12 provides that all gas, oil and electricity installations be maintained in good repair and safe working order.
• Information – Adequate information must be provided to the tenant so that they can safely utilise the rented property.