Waterford City and County Council are responsible for the enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
The regulations apply to all privately-owned homes which are rented or available to rent including those properties which are rented out under the HAP scheme.
All landlords including approved housing bodies (AHB’s) have a legal duty to ensure rented accommodation is in compliance with the regulations as set out under each of the following headings;
• Structural Condition
• Sanitary Facilities
• Heating Facilities
• Food Preparation, Storage and Laundry
• Ventilation
• Lighting
• Fire Safety
• Refuse Facilities
• Gas, Oil and Electricity
• Information
Enforcement of the Regulations
An inspection is carried out on a property by either
After an inspection of a property, if there are issues of non-compliance, landlords can be issued with an Improvement Letter / Notice 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. An Improvement Notice is the first step in enforcement of the Housing Standards Regulations.
If a landlord does not do the necessary works to the property, a Prohibition Notice can be issued 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 Waterford City and 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).
If you have a concern about the condition of your rented accommodation, you should in the first instance contact your landlord to give them an opportunity to put matters right.
If the property fails to reach the required standards and the landlord refuses to carry out repairs you can contact our Housing Inspections Team by using the Complaint Form.
When making contact you will need to provide the following information:
The completed form can be emailed to PRinspections@waterfordcouncil.ie
Please take note of the following before submitting the form:
Our Housing Inspections Team can be contacted directly at: PRinspections@waterforcouncil.ie
Further Information and useful links