Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 October 2025
106. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will reconsider his stance outlined in Parliamentary Question Nos. 384, 385 and 386 of 23 September 2025 (details supplied) regarding the regulation of licensee arrangements in rental accommodation in view of the exploitation outlined in Threshold's ‘Renting at the Frontier’ report launched 30 September 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53902/25]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2025 (the RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The RTA apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions.
The dwellings to which the RTA does not apply are set out in section 3(2) of the RTA, and include for example, a dwelling within which the landlord also resides.
Traditionally, rent-a-room arrangements are entered by students and others residing in ‘digs’ or family homes where goodwill exists to ensure that both lodgers and home owners are happy with the arrangement. It is possible for rent-a-room arrangements to be formalised by way of a licence agreement between the parties to a rent-a-room arrangement, including in respect of student digs, but this is a matter of choice for the parties themselves to agree on.
Digs accommodation and licence arrangements, generally, are an integral housing solution for students and other renters as well as an important source of revenue and, in some circumstances, social interaction for homeowners. Any attempt at regulating ‘digs’ or licence arrangements could well impact negatively on the supply of this traditional and important source of accommodation for students and others.
I have no plans at this time to alter this position; however, the RTA is kept under constant review to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
