By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News Housing Crisis Desk ©Dublin | Sunday 5, July 2025
The Irish Cabinet is set to consider a significant proposal next week that would reduce the minimum size of studio apartments, as part of a broader effort to stimulate apartment development amid the housing crisis.
Minister for Housing James Browne will bring forward a proposal to reduce the minimum size of studio apartments from 37 square metres to 32 square metres.
The plan also includes a standardised design for three-bedroom apartments with a new floor area set at 76 square metres, down from the current 90 square metres.
The Minister is expected to argue that these changes could cut construction costs by between €50,000 and €100,000 per apartment, making developments more financially viable for builders.
While cost reduction is central to the proposal, Minister Browne has emphasised that fire safety, accessibility, and environmental standards will not be compromised under the revised guidelines.
In addition to changes in size regulations, the mandatory proportion of one- and three-bedroom units in developments is also set to be dropped.
Current rules require a mix of unit types in all apartment blocks, but this stipulation may be removed to give developers greater flexibility.
The dual-aspect requirement — which mandates that 33% of apartments in urban areas and 50% in suburban zones must have windows on at least two external walls — will be reduced to a universal 25% rule across all locations.
Another notable change involves flexibility on minimum sizes. Under existing rules, the majority of apartments in a development must exceed the minimum floor area by at least 10%. The new guidelines would lower that threshold so that only 25% of units must exceed minimum size requirements.
The proposal is expected to spark debate, with housing advocates likely to raise concerns about potential impacts on quality of living, even as the Government prioritises speed and cost-efficiency in tackling the housing shortage.
Source: RTE.ie | Editing by M10News Housing Crisis Desk
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