Overview
- The Government proposal, brought to Cabinet on Tuesday, would let homeowners install modular units up to 45 square metres in back gardens without planning permission and rent them out privately.
- Ministers say the change targets rental shortages and aims to free planners to focus on large schemes, with a formal review set after 18 months.
- Officials insist the units will meet building regulations and include their own facilities, with detailed rules to be published after Cabinet approval.
- Reports indicate the rentals would fall under the Rent‑a‑Room tax relief, which allows about €14,000 a year tax‑free for homeowners, and the threshold is under consideration.
- Opposition parties and housing groups warn occupants could be licensees with no RTB protections or rent caps, and they also highlight concerns over inspections, expected siting rules such as side access and keeping 25 sq m clear, and the decision not to count these units in annual housing figures.