Readers Blog: Standards and watchdog can help alleviate housing crisis

I was very pleased to hear that the minster for housing is to allow the reintroduction of bedsitters.

These are the least expensive accommodation units for single tenants, as they involve the use of one room for living in, cooking, and sleeping with shared toilet and bathing/showering facilities.

They are also the least expensive for landlords to set up, as facilities are the most minimal. Landlords can afford to let these for the lowest rent possible to pay overheads and make a profit.

Tenants pay less and can better keep the cost of rent down.

What needs to be done is to set minimum standards requesting that all bedsitters be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board together with either an independent engineer’s report stating that the property is habitable, with a registered BER standard or an inspector’s report.

It should be possible for all prospective tenants to look up registered bedsitters on the internet. There should be at least two toilets for every five people, with toilets separate from showers and baths.

Every house divided into bedsitters should have a lockable shed large enough for tenants to store bicycles, other hardware, and hang washing. Those with fireplaces or stoves in bedrooms should be safe enough for tenants to light fires.

In our era, it should be obligatory for all houses with bedsitters to have broadband, and update this technology when necessary.

Bedsitters not attaining these standards should be reported to the Residential Tenancies Board, who can check ownership with the Land Registry, and have the power to inspect these premises, prosecute if necessary, and pass details of rents to the Revenue Commissioners.

It should be recommended to have double-glazed windows, and the walls, attics, and ceilings insulated to high BER standards. As bedsitters have been set up by simply converting each room in a family dwelling house into a bedroom with a sink in it, these could also be

easily converted back for family or shared-occupier use.

I last stayed in a bedsitter in 1994, and spent almost 36 months in five different bedsitters. My main complaint was that three of them did not have payphones available for the tenants.

They were adequate for my needs, and minimised the cost of rent. If I ever had to relocate and move into rented accommodation, I would be delighted to move into a bedsitter if it were to best meet my needs.

James Cashman

Killorglin

Co Kerry