Standards for Rented Houses

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The Programme

Standards for Rented Houses is a training programme for all staff, both professional/technical and administrative, who have responsibilities related to enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. The IPA, working in close collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, present this four-day training progamme. 

The programme seeks to bring about a common understanding among Inspectorate Staff, and thereby a standardisation, in interpretation and implementation of the Regulations and Guidelines both within individual local authorities and across the sector generally.

This course is ideally suited for newcomers into the area of enforcement of the minimum standards.  It will enable all participants share individual experiences and approaches as currently adopted, as well as providing an opportunity to network with other Inspectorate Staff.  It is also open to HSE Environmental Health Officers and third party private contractors undertaking rental inspections on behalf of Local Authorities.

Who is this for?

The Standards for Rented Houses Training Programme is for all local authority staff, both professional / technical and  administrative, who have responsibilities related to enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.

This course is ideally suited for newcomers into the area of enforcement of the minimum standards.  It will enable all participants share individual experiences and approaches as currently adopted, as well as providing an opportunity to network with other Inspectorate Staff.  It is also open to HSE Environmental Health Officers and third party private contractors undertaking rental inspections on behalf of Local Authorities.

Course Content

Indicative Course Content is outlined below.

Module 1: Regulations and Guidelines

The objective of this module is to give participants a clearer understanding of the regulations themselves, i.e. Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and the Guidelines. The practical differences between the Regulations and Guidelines will be explained; in addition, direction will be provided on how each should be applied by Inspectorate Staff with a view to standardising the interpretation and approach in bringing rental properties into compliance with the minimum standards.

• Structural Condition
• Sanitary & Heating Facilities
• Food Preparation, Storage and Laundry (and
• AHB exemption)
• Ventilation and Lighting
• Fire Safety; Refuse
• Gas, Oil and Electricity

Module 2: Good Practice / Implementation

This module seeks to give participants the knowledge necessary to help establish/develop a fully functional and efficient Inspectorate Function within their local authority. The following will be covered:

• Housing Policy Statement; Inspection Requirements
• Responsiveness to Complaints: Balanced Inspection Planning
• Identify and Prioritise Targets and Targeted Inspection Activity; Communication Strategy
• Follow-Up Inspections and Enforcement
• Resource and Training
• Data Capture and Management Systems
• Use Data to Improve Evaluation and Learning Requirements Responsiveness to Complaints; Balanced Outcomes
• Role of the RTB

Module 3: Tools & Techniques

In this Module, the focus will be on explaining the tools and techniques necessary to help establish / develop a fully  functional and efficient Inspectorate Function within their local authority. The following topics will be covered:

• Conducting Effective Inspections
• Staff Considerations / Roles
• Support Tenant Participation
• Effective Defect Diagnosis
• Standardised Forms & Reporting
• Internal Communication
• Developing Inter-Agency Relationships:
• Effective Information Sharing
• External Communication
• Multi-Agency response
• Evaluation of Reporting
• Performance Indicators
• Benchmarking Activity
• Conduct Inspection

Module 4: Enforcement

The theme of the final module will be enforcement. Therefore, the emphasis will be on ensuring that participants fully understand the enforcement and related procedures to be followed and practical processes that need to be developed and embedded within their Inspectorate Function. The following aspects will be covered:

• Presentation and Peer Review of Inspection
• Complaints and Obstruction
• Improvement Letters and Notices
• Prohibition Notices
• Enforcement Process and Procedure
• Legal Proceedings

For the final part of the module, participants will present their research findings to the class.

Modules will be updated, as appropriate, to reflect any changes that may be made to the regulations themselves and also to reflect feedback from previously completed programmes.

Assessment

Course Requirements:

To support the learning process, participants will be required to undertake a small research exercise (between modules 2 & 3) and present their findings to the class at the end of module 4.

Impact Assessment Quiz:

Participants will be invited to complete a multiple-choice Impact Assessment Quiz 2 weeks after the training.  This online quiz is designed to help embed the information provided by the course.

Course Leader

Each module of this programme will be delivered by an experienced Housing Practitioner \ Sector Expert.

• Module 1 wil be deliverd by Mr. Peter Clarke, retired lecturer, DIT.
• Module 2 will be delivered by Mr. David Silke, The Housing Agency, Ms. Caren Gallagher, Residential Tenancies Board.
• Modules 3 and 4 will be delivered by Mr. Colm Smyth, Environmental Health Officer, Dublin City Council.

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