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Why are the council inspecting my house and what does it mean?
A quick look at what the Cork City and County Council inspections are, why they are happening, and what they mean for you.
Whether you are a tenant or a landlord, you have likely heard something recently about the Cork City and County Councils conducting inspections of rental properties. Essentially, the councils are conducting mandatory inspections of all privately rented properties in their respective jurisdictions. The inspections aim to ensure that all private rental properties meet the minimum standards for rented residential accommodation.
A graphic from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) showing the minimum standards.
What are they looking for?
All rental properties must meet the minimum standards outlined in the photo above. Our maintenance team has been working hard to ensure that the properties we manage will pass inspection - in their experience, the five most common issues that need to be addressed are:
Window restrictors
Window/trickle vents
Extractor fans in bathrooms must be on separate timer
Evacuation Plans*
CO and 10-year battery (or mains-wired) smoke alarms
*Required for apartments/blocks only
How do the inspections work?
First, a letter will be sent to the tenants of the property advising them of the date and approximate time the inspection will take place - they will usually give a window of a few hours (i.e. between 9am-12pm), not a specific time. The letter may come from the council, but it is more likely to come from a company they have hired to do the inspections on their behalf. Most often, it is Niall Keely & Associates Ltd. or Thornton Group.
Tenants: If you are have received a letter and you are unable to be present at that time, don't worry - they will need to accommodate your availability as at least one tenant must be present during the inspection. Just call the number on your letter and they will reschedule the inspection. The inspection must be rescheduled with the company who sent you the letter, it cannot be scheduled through your landlord or estate agency as the inspections are completely separate from them. If a re-inspection needs to be scheduled, it will be after three months and you will receive notice by letter again. Once the property is found to be fully compliant, a re-inspection occurs every 5 years.
Landlords: A letter will also be sent out informing you of the inspection. If you look after your property yourself, you will receive it directly. If you have enlisted an estate agency to manage the property, they will receive it on your behalf. You can be present for the inspection if you wish, but you are not required to be. The inspections are mandatory, so you cannot cancel or opt-out. Once the inspection has been completed an inspection report will be sent out, again either to you if you are independent or your appointed agency. If there are issues that need to be addressed, you or your agency have three months to do so, after which time a re-inspection will be scheduled. This will again come by letter. Once the property is found to be fully compliant, a re-inspection occurs every 5 years.
At Powell Property, we are working ahead of the inspection schedule wherever possible in order to make sure all properties managed by us are compliant. We do not know ahead of time which properties the council is intending to inspect next until we receive the notice letters, but we are well-versed in what they are looking for and have developed a cooperative working relationship with the inspectors to ensure a smooth process for all and to minimise re-inspections where possible.
If you are a landlord who is unsure if their rental property will meet the minimum standards, call us today and we can schedule an advisory inspection. The inspection is free for those who sign up for management services! Contact us today to schedule your inspection and safeguard your investment.