Government risks “shed-sits” as modular home plan rushed through Cabinet
Government risks “shed-sits” as modular home plan rushed through Cabinet - The Labour Party
- No safeguards, no standards, no enforcement
- Garden unit plan opens door to exploitation of renters
- Labour calls for pause and full review of licence arrangements
Labour housing spokesperson Deputy Conor Sheehan has today warned that Government proposals to exempt modular homes in back gardens from planning permission risk creating a shadow rental market with no protections for tenants, after raising the issue directly with the Taoiseach in the Dáil.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“The plans we have heard today in relation to allowing landlords to rent out modular units in back gardens are entirely unacceptable. I raised this issue directly with the Taoiseach in the Dáil because of the very real risk that these proposals could open the door to exploitation of renters.
“While there is a need for flexibility in exempted development, this proposal raises serious and urgent questions that Government has failed to answer. We have not even seen the exempted development guidelines, despite this being trailed as far back as January 2025. Yet Ministers are pushing ahead with a plan that could fundamentally reshape parts of the rental market without any clarity on standards, oversight, or enforcement.
“There is a real and pressing concern here about how vulnerable renters will be protected. I fear a situation where people are effectively forced to live in what amounts to a shed at the bottom of someone’s garden, with none of the protections that apply to standard tenancies. That is not a housing solution. It is a recipe for disaster.
“We already know that there are serious issues in the rental sector. Standards have been undermined, enforcement is weak, and renters are too often left without recourse. Introducing a new category of rental accommodation without clear rules will only deepen those problems and create new opportunities for bad faith actors.
“The fact of the matter is that this proposal has not been thought through. It appears to be driven by pressure from Government backbenchers and sectoral interests rather than by any coherent housing strategy. It risks creating a two-tier system where some landlords operate entirely outside the basic rules that are supposed to protect tenants.
“The Taoiseach’s response in the Dáil was completely disingenuous. He failed to engage with the substance of the issue, which is the very real concern that these proposals could lead to the exploitation of renters. That failure to address the core issue should ring alarm bells for anyone concerned about standards in the rental sector.
“This looks like yet another incentive for a crony class of landlords. The idea that modular units in gardens could be rented out without proper rental protections, without clear building standards, and without meaningful enforcement is deeply concerning. It sends a signal that Government is willing to lower the bar even further in an already strained housing system.
“If Government is serious about addressing the housing crisis, it must focus on delivering secure, affordable homes at scale, not on creating new avenues for precarious and potentially unsafe living arrangements. Any changes to planning rules must come with robust safeguards, clear standards, and strong enforcement mechanisms to protect renters.
“Government must immediately pause these proposals and carry out a full review of licence arrangements, publish the exempted development guidelines in full, and commit to putting in place comprehensive protections for tenants before any exemptions are introduced. We cannot allow a situation where people’s basic right to safe and secure housing is undermined in the name of expediency. This plan must be paused, scrutinised, and fixed before it does real harm.”