Readers Blog: Banning bedsits exacerbated homelessness

The Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA), the national representative body for landlords welcomes, with cautious optimism, the Minister for Housing’s proposed action to allow bedsit accommodation once again.

The IPOA have been calling for this since 2008 when the banning of the traditional bedsit was first announced.

This is not a call for any type of substandard accommodation. The banning of good quality affordable accommodation, because there was no integrated bathroom, was a huge mistake.

The damage already caused to the private rental market by this ill-thought action will now be impossible to reverse, but we can try to make up for it in some small way.

The State deliberately reduced the number of centrally located and most affordable accommodation for what can only be called “spurious reasons” and the result is shown in the increased level of homelessness.

Many good tenants who were living their lives independently, and economically from their point of view, were forced out of their comfortable, affordable, centrally located accommodation and many are now homeless because Governments decided that bedsits were unsuitable without integrated sanitary facilities.

There are still many units within houses that are closed because it is illegal to rent them. Allowing designated bathrooms for the sole use of a unit would immediately allow these to be opened again to increase the supply of private rental accommodation available.

The terms and conditions of tenancies should be between individual landlords and tenants. It is unacceptable for the State to interfere in the amount of deposit that can be taken, unless the State will compensate landlords when damage above the deposit is incurred or rent is not paid.

Fair play is needed for both sides. Holding deposits are paid to hold accommodation. If it becomes refundable in all cases, it becomes worthless. This will disadvantage people who try to move accommodation because they have to give their existing property owner significant notice as per the Residential Tenancies Act. It could lead to a situation that people searching for accommodation give holding deposits to a number of providers while they make up their mind.

The current homeless crisis was caused by Governments not providing social housing and forcing people into the private rental sector, and was made worse by constant interference and legislative changes which eroded investor confidence.

Stephen Faughnan (Chairman)

The Irish Property Owners Association