Magazine Road residents back call for laws on multi-occupancy

MAGAZINE Road Residents’ Association has welcomed Cork City Council’s motion calling on the Government to introduce legislation on houses of multi-occupancy (HMOs).

The motion, calling on the Government to introduce the legislation regarding the management, maintenance, and standards specific to houses of multi-occupancy was passed by Cork City Council recently.

The chairwoman of the association, Catherine Clancy, said the legislation should include standards concerning bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, shared space, general condition, and other health-and-safety concerns of tenants. “This would ensure that these HMOs are fit for purpose,” she said.

Ms Clancy said that support from the council and its councillors “reinforces” the association’s previous calls for legislation on HMOs.

“There are well over 2,000 of these type properties in the South and North West wards in Cork City,” Ms Clancy said. 

“The experience of residents around UCC, here in Cork, and the ongoing experience of residents in Limerick and Galway shows that this is a national issue that requires urgent action by our legislators.”

Ms Clancy said that the association is calling for the licensing of all landlords; a test for rented properties that they meet certain criteria and be fit for purpose; a public register of the owners or management companies of all rented properties; and a limit of three months rent that the landlord can ask for in advance.

It is also calling for local authorities to be given the legislative power to license the HMOs and for legislators to make changes to planning laws, so that planning applications are a statutory requirement for the change-of-use of a two- or three-bedroom residential property to a multi-occupancy house with up to five or 10 bedrooms.