The Labour Party has raised concerns that the relaxation of planning laws will lead to a ‘proliferation’ of low quality homes where tenants have no rental protections. 

From today, the erection of a modular home in a garden no longer requires planning permission. 

The change comes as part of a package of measures the Government hopes will streamline the planning system and boost rental supply. 

Minister for Housing James Browne described modular homes as a “practical option now for many people with differing needs”. 

He added that landlords can now install them “without the rigmarole of going through extensive planning”. 

However, on Newstalk Breakfast, Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan said while aspects of the reforms are “welcome”, he noted that tenants living in modular homes will have few rights. 

“They will allow a landlord to rent out one of these units while treating the tenant as a licensee, which is the way the rent-a-room scheme works, which is up to €14,000 a year tax-free allowance,” he explained.

“That essentially means that the tenant does not come under the RTB Act; the tenant really doesn't have any rights in terms of if there's a dispute, they have no place to go, they can't go to the RTB and also they don't come under the rental caps and they really have no protections.” 

The Limerick TD continued that the Government has not announced an increase in housing inspections, which he fears will mean landlords rent out sub-standard accommodation. 

“While you will see some people installing very high-quality modular units, the fact of the matter is the high-quality modular units are not cheap,” he predicted. 

“So, you are going to as well see, unfortunately, a proliferation of low-quality units.”

Main image: A modular home. Picture by: Alamy.com.