Over 1,200 letters sent to Louth landlords to advise of improvement work needed on HAP properties

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

Over 1,200 landlords renting homes under the HAP scheme were issued with advisory letters by Louth County Council last year, recommending ‘improvement works” to their property.

The figures were revealed by the local authority in response to a story highlighted by The Argus, where a young mother told of the unhealthy conditions she and her family were housed in. She said there was extensive mould and damp in the house, and that her young children were frequently becoming ill.

Louth County Council confirmed that it does not allocate tenants to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) properties.

A spokesman said: “Under the HAP scheme, tenants source their own accommodation and agree rental terms directly with landlords. To qualify, tenants must be on the social housing waiting list and approved for HAP in County Louth.

Properties are not inspected by the council before a tenant moves in. It is the tenant’s responsibility to ensure the property is suitable for their needs at the time of agreement. However, in accordance with Section B of the HAP landlord agreement, all properties are subject to inspection by Louth County Council’s Private Rented Inspections (PRI) team within eight months of entering the HAP scheme.”

It was revealed that in 2024, the council’s PRI team inspected over 1,800 properties and issued more than 1,200 advisory letters to landlords recommending improvement works. To date in 2025, over 1,450 inspections have been completed.

These inspections assess compliance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 137/2019).

“Landlords are responsible for ensuring their properties meet these standards and must register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The RTB then notifies the council’s PRI Section, which carries out inspections routinely, as per the council’s annual PRI inspection targets, or in response to tenant complaints.”

The council advised tenants who have concerns about the condition of their rental accommodation to contact the council’s PRI team via Customer Services or by email at pri@louthcoco.ie.