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Standards in Private Rented Accommodation

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

  • A Waterford City and County Council Housing Inspector or
  • A Private Contractor on behalf of Waterford City and County Council

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).

Complaints about private rented accommodation

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:

  • Your full name, address, telephone/mobile number and email address
  • full details of your concerns/query.
  • The name and address and telephone number of your landlord. 

The completed form can be emailed to PRinspections@waterfordcouncil.ie

Please take note of the following before submitting the form:

  • Inspections are carried out at the discretion of Waterford City and County Council.
  • 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.
  • Please note that disputes between landlords and tenants do not fall under the remit of Waterford City & County Council Housing Inspectors to mediate or resolve. Disputes should be addressed to the Residential Tenancies Board (please visit https://www.rtb.ie/dispute-resolution for more information)

Our Housing Inspections Team can be contacted directly at: PRinspections@waterforcouncil.ie

Further Information and useful links

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