The Government should introduce legislation ensuring minimum standards for the private rented sector to tackle the problem of tenants living in unfit accommodation, according to Threshold.
Threshold chairwoman Aideen Hayden
In its annual report the national housing organisation said it was alarmed at the number of tenants living in poor conditions. It said it had received complaints from tenants living in accommodation with a lack of hot and cold running water, mould growing on walls or ceilings and, in some cases, vermin infestation.
Threshold chairwoman Aideen Hayden, said "the existing minimum standards regulations are from a bygone era and must be updated.
"The days when a two-ring camping stove is considered adequate for cooking or when one toilet on the landing is shared between four bed-sits must end," she added. According to the report, appeals for help from tenants doubled last year from 386 in 2004 to 785 in 2005.
Threshold proposes the introduction of a new process of certification for rented properties, along the lines of the NCT, to ensure they are fit for the purpose of renting.
"The current system of inspection is hopelessly inadequate. We need a system that makes sure all rented property is fit to live in, both in relation to minimum standards and fire safety. We believe every compliant landlord in the country should welcome such a system," Ms Hayden added.
The report also found that local authorities conducted only 6,815 inspections of an estimated 150,000 rented properties last year, with over 30 per cent (2,048 properties) found to be below minimum standards, but legal action was initiated in just eleven cases.
It said that Dublin City Council carried out over half of all inspections nationally (3,735), but 19 local authorities failed to inspect a single property including Cork County Council, Galway County Council, Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council.
