733 of 756 rental homes failed safety checks

A statutory inspection has revealed an alarmingly high number of private rented properties in Cork county were potential death traps.

A local authority report yesterday divulged 97% of 756 private properties inspected failed to meet regulatory standards. Many properties failed on basic life-saving installations such as smoke alarms, fire blankets and insufficient ventilation for open fires and solid fuel stoves.

Significantly, Cork County Council only has resources to inspect 5.1% of private rented housing stock.