The Government\u2019s \u2018beds in sheds\u2019 plan going before Cabinet today is a recipe for exploitation and substandard accommodation, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.<\/p>\n
Deputy Hearne said:<\/p>\n
\u201cHiding a generation in back gardens is not a solution to our housing crisis. There are so many flaws in this half-baked plan that it\u2019s difficult to know where to start.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was initially put forward as an initiative to allow parents provide modular housing units on their properties for family members to live in. However, it has now morphed into something completely different \u2013 a carte blanche for unscrupulous landlords to build back garden Airbnbs or substandard rental pods.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been a lot of vague talk about safeguards and regulation as part of the Government\u2019s plan to allow planning exemptions for modular homes in gardens. But this only raises further questions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho will be responsible for ensuring compliance with regulations? Who will enforce building and health and safety standards? And if this responsibility ends up falling on local authorities, will they be sufficiently funded and resourced by the Government to allow for the increased workload?<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother major flaw with this proposal is that anyone renting a back garden modular unit will be subject to a licence arrangement as opposed to a tenancy agreement. This will put them outside the scope of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and deny them the normal protections afforded to renters \u2013 it is a recipe for exploitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Social Democrats support modular housing and modern methods of construction, but only when it\u2019s done right, planned appropriately for communities and neighbourhoods, and has a positive impact on housing supply.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government has a responsibility to ensure accommodation is of a certain standard, affordability and quality \u2013 and that there are sufficient safeguards in place for tenants. Yet none of these assurances are built into its \u2018beds in sheds\u2019 policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
April 21, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Government\u2019s \u2018beds in sheds\u2019 plan going before Cabinet today is a recipe for exploitation and substandard accommodation, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: \u201cHiding a generation in back gardens is not a solution to our housing crisis. There are so many flaws in this half-baked plan that it\u2019s difficult […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[828,10,829,737,510],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beds-in-sheds","category-housing-crisis","category-modular-homes","category-rents","category-rory-hearne"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n