Laois County Council is responsible, through inspection, for determining whether a property meets the standards for rental accommodation in accordance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. The quality of rental accommodation is critical to the success and sustainability of the residential rental sector and to its attractiveness as a long-term accommodation option for households. Residential rental properties must provide safe, efficient, durable, comfortable and environmentally sustainable homes for those who live in them.
In this context, Laois County Council has a critical public role and duty in ensuring compliance with the standards for rental accommodation through effective inspections and enforcement processes. Where a property does not meet the required standard, the Council is responsible for ensuring compliance through the use of improvement and prohibition notices and legal proceedings.
Landlords and tenants are required to allow the Housing Authority access to the property to undertake inspections.
An outline of the items that will be checked by the Inspector when carrying out the inspection and a copy of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 are available below:
Information Leaflet – Minimum Standards and Fire Safety
Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019
Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants
Landlords are legally required to provide tenants with a property that provides a safe and healthy environment to live in. That means regularly reviewing the condition of the property and carrying out repairs when needed. Landlords are responsible for the maintenance and repair of the dwelling and the equipment provided with it, arising from the wear and tear associated with normal use
Tenants must also take responsibility for the property. They are required to exercise due care when using the dwelling and the equipment in it and to promptly inform the landlord when repairs are needed. Tenants are responsible for the repair of damage, either accidental or deliberate, that is not attributable to normal use.
Tenants may report suspected non-compliance with the standards to the Housing Authority, request that inspections be carried out and are entitled to be informed of the outcomes of inspection and enforcements processes.
For further information or to request an inspection please send and e-mail to propertyinspections@laoiscoco.ie
Residential Tenancies Board
The Residential Tenancies Board is the statutory body responsible for the operation of a national registration system for all residential tenancies and for all tenancies provided in the Approved Housing Body Sector. One of the core functions of the RTB is also to provide for tenants and landlords, a timely and cost effective dispute resolution service.
A tenant can take a case against their landlord regarding the standard and maintenance of a dwelling. The tenant must first write a letter to their landlord, outlining the issues, and giving them a reasonable period in which to rectify the situation. If the problem persists after the letter has been sent, they may take a case against the landlord through the RTB.