Opposition parties have criticised a reported government move to allow modular cabins in back gardens to qualify under the Rent-a-Room scheme, warning it could lead to tenant exploitation and poor housing standards.
According to reports, the government has shifted its position on a policy first flagged last year that would remove the need for planning permission for certain modular homes or log cabins built in residential gardens. Under current rules, homeowners can construct a rear extension of up to 40 square metres without planning permission, provided it is attached to the house. The proposed changes would instead allow detached structures of up to 45 square metres at the end of a garden without requiring approval.
Initially, the policy was presented as a way to support intergenerational living, enabling younger or older family members to live independently while remaining close to relatives. At the time, it was emphasised that these units were intended for family use only and not for the private rental market.
However, the government is now considering allowing such units to be rented out under the Rent-a-Room relief scheme, which currently permits homeowners to earn up to €14,000 annually in tax-free income from renting part of their home. Sources indicated that this shift came after concerns about the difficulty of verifying whether occupants were family members.
Speaking in Tipperary, Tánaiste Simon Harris defended the approach, saying the government does not want people to have to “jump through a load of planning hoops” to install modular units. “We’re not going to tie up our planners, having to assess those applications when they could be working on critical infrastructure that’s needed for this country,” he said.
Harris added that the government is exploring “if there’s any logic” in extending Rent-a-Room relief to such units. “And I think there might well be,” he said, describing the policy as a matter of “common sense, practical measures.” He acknowledged, however, that these steps alone would not resolve the housing crisis, adding that “taking the planner out of your back garden and possibly taking the tax man out” is the aim.
Opposition figures have strongly criticised the proposal. Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin described it as “deeply concerning,” warning it could lead to “rogue landlords” installing substandard cabins and charging excessive rents. Labour’s Conor Sheehan and Social Democrats’ Rory Hearne also raised concerns, arguing the move risks creating a “recipe for exploitation” without proper regulation or oversight.
