Garden homes plan risks renters’ rights, groups warn

A controversial Government proposal to fast track so called garden homes is facing mounting opposition, with three major housing organisations warning it could create a surge in insecure and substandard living arrangements across Dublin and beyond.

Threshold, Age Action and Irish Council for International Students have jointly called on ministers to halt the plan, which would exempt garden homes from planning permission and extend rent a room tax relief to landlords using these units.

While acknowledging the urgent need to increase housing supply, the groups say the proposal risks opening the door to widespread exploitation of renters, particularly those already vulnerable.

They warn that many people living in garden homes are treated as licensees rather than tenants, a classification that leaves them with little or no legal protection.

Unlike tenants, licensees are not covered by the Residential Tenancies Acts and have limited rights if disputes arise.

According to Threshold’s frontline experience, this often results in people living in cramped and poor quality accommodation, facing sudden rent increases or eviction with no meaningful recourse.

The organisations say the legal distinction between a licence and a tenancy is complex and frequently disputed, often requiring intervention from the Residential Tenancies Board.

However, they stress that regardless of legal classification, no renter should be left without basic protections.

Concerns are also growing that extending rent a room relief to these units would incentivise more landlords to adopt licence style arrangements, further weakening protections in the private rental sector.

The groups argue that removing planning requirements could lead to a proliferation of poorly designed housing with little oversight, raising concerns about safety, infrastructure and the impact on local services such as water and energy supply.

They have also highlighted the potential impact on specific groups, including international students, older people and those already struggling to secure stable housing.

There are fears that older homeowners could face pressure from family members or third parties to convert properties for financial gain.

The organisations insist that expanding licence based renting is not a solution to Ireland’s housing crisis and warn it could deepen existing problems rather than solve them.

They point to Threshold’s recent report, Renting on the Frontier, which documented the growing use of licence arrangements and called for urgent reform.

The report found that such arrangements have expanded far beyond their original purpose and now operate in a largely unregulated space.

Threshold, Age Action and ICOS are now urging the Government to pause the proposals and carry out a full review of licence arrangements before introducing any changes.

They say any attempt to boost housing supply must not come at the expense of basic rights, warning that without proper safeguards, garden homes could quickly become another pressure point in an already strained housing system.