Housing charity Threshold has warned safeguards will be needed to protect tenants and older people if rules are to be relaxed to allow the installation of cabins and modular homes in back gardens without planning permission.
The Government is proposing the move as part of efforts to tackle Ireland’s housing shortage.
Threshold has raised concerns about the “the potential unintended consequences of the Government’s proposed changes to exempted development regulations” as part of its submission during the public consultation process, which has now closed.
In a statement, it said: “While Minister for Housing James Browne has noted that the intention is not to expand the private rental market through the new measures, it is Threshold’s strong belief that many of these units could be rented out without the usual planning or safety frameworks, or tenancy protections, in place.”
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It added: “Safeguards will be needed to protect renters” from “living in potentially sub-standard and unregulated housing”.
[ What are the proposed new rules on garden cabins and how might things change?Opens in new window ]
Threshold also said it is concerned garden homes “may unintentionally expose older homeowners to undue influence from family members, or third parties, seeking to benefit from their properties, placing them under pressure to vacate their homes or build a garden home for rental purposes.
It called for “explicit safeguards” to ensure any decision to relocate to garden homes by vulnerable older homeowners is made with their informed and voluntary consent.
Separately, the Department of Housing has said more than 900 submissions were made by members of the public on a range of proposals on changing exempted development regulations.
It said more than half the submissions relate to the proposal to exempt modular-style homes up to 45sq/m in back gardens and these were “predominantly supportive” of the proposal.
Minister of State for Planning John Cummins said the feedback “will help shape our proposals”.
He said: “I have always said this measure [on modular homes] will only be appropriate in certain settings and with conditions that will be outlined in the draft regulations. The public’s input will be invaluable in informing the drafting of the new regulations.”
