Plan to target shoddy rental housing amid fears of crisis in standards

Landlords face regular NCT-style inspections of their properties to certify them fit for habitation under proposals aimed at cracking down on sub-standard accommodation.

Other measures under consideration involve the setting-up of a dedicated national inspection unit to replace the piecemeal approach of using a mix of council workers, HSE staff, and private contractors to carry out limited random checks on properties.

The proposals come amid fears that the next big crisis looming in the private rental sector is a slump in dwelling standards, and as figures collected by the Irish Examiner show, the system of policing standards is seriously flawed.