Bedsits coming back?

Claw Hammer

It seems to me that many commentators haven't got a clue what a bedsit is. There are bedsits closed down because they didn't have an internal bathroom. The only problem was that the tenant had to go out into a corridor to access his dedicated bathroom. Nothing wrong otherwise. No fire, ventilation or damp issues.
Other bedsits were closed because they had shared bathrooms, maybe with one other person. Again no fire, damp or ventilation issues.

Some legitimate shared accommodation has 5 or 6 tenants per unit with one bathroom between them. The bedrooms are shared and the each have to leave their shared bedroom to go to the bathroom.

All that seems to be proposed is that the first two types of accommodation will once again be allowed. At the moment letting bedrooms individually in a shared house is a breach of the regulations. There is no enforcement of this but once there is more than 1 bell on the door, the full rigour of the law is applied. With people dying on the streets and money being spent on hotels for
the homeless, it is about time some common sense applied.

whisky_galore

I would be in favour of them, but no doubt here in this country such is the degree of arm chancing and p*ss-taking, we will revisit the mould stained tiny cubicles of yesteryear, not fit for a dog let alone human habitation.

MayoSalmon

Many people renting a room for 700+ so don't see the problem in them personally..to each their own.

seamus

Bringing back bedsits is not going to help in the short term.

You will see a rash of apartments taken off the market while they are "refurbished", appearing back on the market split into multiple units. What was previously a two-bed for €1,600 will now be two bedsits @ €1,000 each.

I know a lot of people whinge about the outlawing of bedsits. But in this market if you want a "race to the bottom", then allowing bedsits is most definitely achieving that.

There may be merit in bedsits in a working property market. We don't have a working property market.

Claw Hammer

seamus wrote: »

Bringing back bedsits is not going to help in the short term.

You will see a rash of apartments taken off the market while they are "refurbished", appearing back on the market split into multiple units. What was previously a two-bed for €1,600 will now be two bedsits @ €1,000 each.

I know a lot of people whinge about the outlawing of bedsits. But in this market if you want a "race to the bottom", then allowing bedsits is most definitely achieving that.

There may be merit in bedsits in a working property market. We don't have a working property market.

Sub dividing an existing two bed apartment would need planning permission which won't be given.
This is the problem with the debate about this. What a bedsit is means a pre 63 unit provided as such and continually in use as such since 1964. There are several hundred of such were were closed down in recent years. All that is being proposed is that some be allowed re-open. It is not sanctioning a conversion free for all. It would cost about €20k to convert a 2 bed apartment into two bedsits. No landlord would do it. It is much simpler to squeeze an extra tenant or two into the larger unit.

As a short term measure it would bring some dwellings onto the market which will ease pressure pending the building of better housing. It is not a cure all but simply a temporary relief measure. people are far too emotional about this.
Woukd a student at the Grangeggorman DIT prefer a bedsit on the North Circular Road a hundred yards from college or live in a shared house in Tyrellstown miles from the college and half a mile from a bus stop?

pilly

I think bedsits could be part of the solution if they were affordable, but as seamus mentions above they will probably still cost a fortune in the current market so won't help anyone.

They definitely did offer a good alternative to single people back in the day when they were maybe 50 quid a week but they will never be that again.

I think the government housing plan has to start taking into consideration the needs of the huge amount of single men and women, usually of an older age bracket who simply can't manage a house and need somewhere small and cheap.

handlemaster

Did i miss an announcement on this ? whos talking of doing this ?

beauf

Claw Hammer wrote: »

It seems to me that many commentators haven't got a clue what a bedsit is. There are bedsits closed down because they didn't have an internal bathroom. The only problem was that the tenant had to go out into a corridor to access his dedicated bathroom. Nothing wrong otherwise. No fire, ventilation or damp issues.
Other bedsits were closed because they had shared bathrooms, maybe with one other person. Again no fire, damp or ventilation issues. .....

In fairness a lot were hovels.

They were never inspected either.

If they allow them back and inspected them, then maybe. Some suggest even a bad bedsit was safer than some of the hostels are.

4ensic15

pilly wrote: »

I think bedsits could be part of the solution if they were affordable, but as seamus mentions above they will probably still cost a fortune in the current market so won't help anyone.

They definitely did offer a good alternative to single people back in the day when they were maybe 50 quid a week but they will never be that again.

I think the government housing plan has to start taking into consideration the needs of the huge amount of single men and women, usually of an older age bracket who simply can't manage a house and need somewhere small and cheap.

The price of them is irrelevant. The market will decide the price. What matters is if accommodation which is unused comes into use. Whoever moves into them will free up a bed space elsewhere in the market. That is an increase in supply which will have an effect in reducing rents. Even a slight increase in supply is more than welcome at the moment.

Spanish Eyes

Bedsits were viable for many because they were low cost and generally close to city centre.

If revitalised I doubt they would come cheap. So why not just house share?

Stheno

handlemaster wrote: »

Did i miss an announcement on this ? whos talking of doing this ?

Its rumoured the housing minister is going to make them legal again

wordofwarning

This feels very little the DCC dangerous dog breed ban. Banning certain dogs for a few years, then after a ton of dogs were put down turning around and saying we will allow them if you already have one. After most of the dogs had been put down...

Likewise pre-63s were banned, nearly all of them were converted into apartments or single family homes. Now after all of this work, they are now legal. Sure there are little pre-63s to go back on the market now...

When the Government makes populist legislation, you are generally better off ignoring/following it for a few years, as it will likely be repealed in a bit

4ensic15

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Bedsits were viable for many because they were low cost and generally close to city centre.

If revitalised I doubt they would come cheap. So why not just house share?

That is a decision for the individual. Some people take a bedsit when they first come to a city and then move to sharing. Others get fed up of sharing and move to a bedsit. If someone moves from a house share to a returned bedsit it frees up a place for someone else to go into sharing. At the moment there is far more demand for sharing than there are places available.

beauf

I'd say most of that stock has been converted or sold.

Spanish Eyes

Is there any definition of a bedsit around anymore?

I suppose the difference between a bedsit and a houseshare is that although you might have to share bathroom and washing machine/dryer facilities, you have a means to cook in your room in a bedsit set up.

Is that the only difference between a houseshare (without en suite) and a bedsit now?

If so, it is a studio apartment without private bathroom.

Spanish Eyes

beauf wrote: »

I'd say most of that stock has been converted or sold.

Indeed.

But it might encourage others to buy up some cheap run down four story houses on NCR and do it all again.

But TBH I'd say it is still going on under the radar.

...And Justice

Fcuking bedsits......where are we ? Some hovel in India? Jesus Christ, what are we asking for here? Yeah landlords "approve" of this, well obviously. What's next? " yeah I have 4 bedsits upstairs, 2 downstairs and one in the chubby hole. Get fcuked.

For people who don't know what a bedsit is......well basically you can go to bed.....aaaaand sit....on the fcuking bed. For €1000 per month.

TresGats

Lived in bedsits for about 5 years for my sins, 6 of them, all around Dublin city and only 2 places I have lived are still divided into flats. 4 others are family homes now.
Where will these bedsits come from?
I'm guessing that's the 'HAP' standard out the window too?
The 'Ikea look studio" seems to be the new bedsit, at around 1k p.m Be interesting to see if this actually works to help house people. I just don't think the stock is there, so many pre '63 buildings sold off cheaply when the rule came in.

hmmm

Hopefully they are brought back - as a short term emergency measure. If we can get several thousand accommodation units back on the market it can only be good - we can then gradually increase their quality over time as better supply catches up. Bedsits might not appeal to a lot of people, but they are an awful lot better than sleeping in a hostel.

whisky_galore

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

But TBH I'd say it is still going on under the radar.

Not even under the radar. Saw a bedsit advertised as such on daft.IE earlier this year. I would say there's far more being offered through unofficial channels.
Hardly surprising with the cute hoorism typical of this country. The intentions are good but can see it turning into a race to the bottom as a previous commenter has noted.

Surely a dive of a bed sit is preferable to a homesless hostel or a door way? They are really the only type of accommodation that will ever be suitable for older single people from a cost and living arrangement point of view. I never really understood why it was such a big deal that there were shared bathrooms either, there is nothing wrong with it.

6541

I am so disappointed at this news. Bedsits, third world dives owned by slum landlords. So that is where we are at in Ireland in 2017. Just get the finger out and start facking building. Jayus.

6541

6541 wrote: »

I am so disappointed at this news. Bedsits, third world dives owned by slum landlords. So that is where we are at in Ireland in 2017. Just get the finger out and start facking building. Jayus.

Build what though? Bedsit type accommodation is perfect for the type of person who availed of it.

I really don't see the issue with bedsits, especially if they are of a reasonable standard.

lalababa

I've experience of a lot of bedsits. Some were grotty, some were meh, some were excellent, some were small, some were medium some were big, some had a bathroom between 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6, some had their own bathroom. Most of them had the bed , kitchen, and chill out (tv area) in the same room.
Most of them were a great job for low income or 'rather live alone' people.
But the minister Finneran in his wisdom decided we were too good for them. And stuck to that decision because there was no backlash, and indeed how could you argue against 'improving' people's accommodation. The Upshot lowered accommodation stock raised rents in the lower rent price brackets. Oh and more than likely put people on the street.

Topgear on Dave

lalababa wrote: »

But the minister Finneran in his wisdom decided we were too good for them. And stuck to that decision because there was no backlash, and indeed how could you argue against 'improving' people's accommodation. The Upshot lowered accommodation stock raised rents in the lower rent price brackets. Oh and more than likely put people on the street.

Of course it was easy for the minister to stick to it since the type of folk living in the bedsits were certainly not the well off middle or upper classes who most definitely would cause a political backlash if their accomodation was taken away :rolleyes:

I dont like the bedsits, but we dont have an ideal stuation and its better than sleeping in hostels or the street for many.

blackvalley

6541 wrote: »

I am so disappointed at this news. Bedsits, third world dives owned by slum landlords. So that is where we are at in Ireland in 2017. Just get the finger out and start facking building. Jayus.

WHAT all of them ! . A slight generalisation I think .
Personally I have in my younger years lived in several bedsits which have been perfectly adequate for my requirements .While doing so and due to the reduced rent I was able to save the deposit for my house .

4ensic15

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Is there any definition of a bedsit around anymore?

I suppose the difference between a bedsit and a houseshare is that although you might have to share bathroom and washing machine/dryer facilities, you have a means to cook in your room in a bedsit set up.

Is that the only difference between a houseshare (without en suite) and a bedsit now?

If so, it is a studio apartment without private bathroom.

In a bedsit there is no common living area. the bedsit does not have to share utility bills, does not have flatmates and their guests having access to their room. Some bedsits had their own bathroom but because it was external, it was banned.
Many houseshares also have a joint and several liability arrangement so the tenant is responsible for damage done by flatmates.

PhoenixParker

By the time bedsits were banned there were very few of them left in Dublin or around the country. Census 2006 found 5405 in all of Dublin, that was of 420,429 households. Basically you're talking just over 1%.

myshirt

Get your towel and spray of Jif on the ready to run down that corridor with, as it does look like they are coming back.

Cushie Butterfield

6541 wrote:

Just get the finger out and start facking building. Jayus.

Thank-you! Enough faffing about in the 'think tank' & just do it.

Bedsits might temporarily solve the lack of student accommodation, single people living on the streets, or single people on the housing list, but they are not suitable for anyone with children who make up the vast majority of the housing lists.

It would become a very slippery slope. The danger is that we'll be reverting to the tenement days, as single people from housing lists will eventually procreate & be stuck in overcrowded bedsits, resulting in poor, cramped & unhealthy living conditions. There's very little difference between the B&B accommodations presently being used and bedsits anyway.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, not one foundation has been laid.

Topgear on Dave

Cushie Butterfield wrote: »

Meanwhile, back in the real world, not one foundation has been laid.

But laying foundation involves builders & developers and as everybody knows, developers are corrupt capitalists and BAAAADDDD :pac:

So on and on our crisis goes..........