Government eases apartment size rules aiming to cut costs and boost supply

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14 hours ago

New Government guidelines will allow for smaller apartment sizes and more flexible layouts, in a move aimed at jumpstarting stalled developments and reducing construction costs.
The revised Planning Design Standards for Apartments announced on Tuesday by Housing Minister James Browne and Minister of State for Planning John Cummins relax existing rules on internal space, dual aspect ratios, ceiling heights, and other design elements.
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The changes are intended to lower construction costs by an average of €50,000 to €100,000 per unit in some cases, making apartment projects more viable amid soaring building expenses.
Crucially, Browne said, this will be done without compromising on disability, fire regulations, or environmental requirements.
The new guidelines reduce the minimum size of studio apartments from 37 square metres to 32 square metres.
Minister Browne said the current regulatory framework has created 'blockages' in apartment delivery, contributing to a slowdown in construction.
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'We are acting in response to a housing crisis. There are blockages to apartment building in the regulations we have, we can see that in the slowdown in our much-needed pipeline of apartments. We are taking decisive action, without compromising on any essential regulations, to ensure apartments are viable to build," he said.
'If we are to achieve a serious acceleration in housing delivery, we have to engage every mechanism available to achieve our ambition for people to have the homes they need to grow up and grow old in."
Amended planning laws
Alongside the updated design standards, the Government also plans to amend planning laws to allow developers to revise existing planning permissions, such as changing internal layouts, without needing to reapply, provided construction has not yet started.
Minister Cummins said the reforms are part of a broader strategy to boost housing delivery across urban areas.
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'A key consideration in bringing forward these changes was a desire to ensure we did not see apartment schemes going back to the start of the planning process for redesign," he said.
"That is why Government approval has been received today to bring forward amendments to the Planning and Development Amendment Bill (2025) to enable development schemes which currently benefit from planning permission, but have not been commenced, to be altered without the need for a new planning application.
'This is a common sense and practical time bound measure, which is carefully calibrated to ensure changes can be made to the internal layout of a permitted structure which may assist with the viability of proposed schemes that have not been commenced.
'The introduction of these revised planning standards will further incentivise construction - ensuring that high standards of accommodation for future occupants will be retained while addressing the under-supply of apartments.'
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The new guidelines are part of a broader government push to meet the National Planning Framework target of 50,000 new homes per year through 2040, with a strong focus on compact, urban development.
The following minimum apartment floor areas shall apply and statutory plans shall not specify minimum floor areas that exceed the minimum floor areas set out below:
Studio apartment (one person) 32sq.m;
One-bedroom apartment (Two people) 45 sq.m;
Two-bedroom apartment (Three people) 63 sq.m;
Two-bedroom apartment (Four people) 73 sq.m;
Three-bedroom apartment (Four people) 76 sq. m;
Three-bedroom apartment (Five people) 90 sq.m.
The floor area parameters set out above shall generally apply to apartment schemes and do not apply to purpose-built and managed student housing.