Threshold warns Government's garden homes plan could weaken renters' rights

Charity says proposed planning exemptions could leave some renters without key legal protections or minimum housing standards

The charity, which said on Thursday it had prevented more than 1,100 households from entering homelessness since April, warned the proposals could have 'unintended consequences' for renters. Picture: iStock

Housing charity Threshold has raised concerns about the Government's plans to exempt home extensions, garden accommodation and house subdivisions from planning permission requirements.

The charity, which said on Thursday it had prevented more than 1,100 households from entering homelessness since April, warned the proposals could have “unintended consequences” for renters by expanding a form of accommodation that may fall outside existing rental protections.

Threshold said its primary concern is that people living in garden homes will be classified as licensees rather than tenants, meaning they could be excluded from protections such as security of tenure, limits on rent increases and access to the Residential Tenancies Board for dispute resolution.

Threshold also said it is concerned that the proposed regulations “do not provide sufficient safeguards to ensure minimum living standards”.

The charity added that it is “not clear how minimum rental standards will be monitored and enforced”.

"Without clear oversight, there is a risk that exempted developments could create a two-tier housing system, where vulnerable groups are disproportionately accommodated in lower quality and less secure housing without recourse to protections," Threshold said.

The charity is calling on the Government to review the category of licensee to ensure this group of renters is afforded some rights under the Residential Tenancies Acts, similar to those available to students living in purpose-built student accommodation.

Threshold's National Advocacy Manager, Ann-Marie O'Reilly, said: "As new forms of accommodation, such as garden homes, become more common, it is essential that clear safeguards are put in place so that renters are not left without the protections they need.”

Speaking last week, junior housing minister John Cummins said the tenancies would be covered by licensing arrangements similar to the Rent-a-Room scheme and that the measures would ensure that “perfect would not be the enemy of good”.