Design Standards for Apartments: Guidelines for Planning Authorities

1. Page 1

   Cite this pagePDF p. 1 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Planning Design Standards for Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2025 Prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage gov.ie

2. Page 2

   Cite this pagePDF p. 2 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   The guidelines set out policy and guidance in relation to the planning and development of apartments in all housing or mixed-use developments that include apartments that may be made available for sale, whether for owner occupation or for individual lease, or for rental purposes.

3. Page 3

   Cite this pagePDF p. 3 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Page iiiPlanning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities Contents 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Guidelines under the Planning and Development Act 2000 3 1.2 Overview of the Guidelines 3 2.0 Context 5 2.1 Sustainable and Compact Growth 7 2.2 Viability 9 2.3 Implementation 10 3.0 Apartment Design Standards 11 3.1 Building Height and Layout 13 3.2 Housing Mix 13 3.3 Apartment Floor Areas 14 3.4 Dual Aspect Ratios 16 3.5 Floor to Ceiling Height 17 3.6 Lift and Stair Cores 17 3.7 Internal Storage 18 3.8 Private Amenity Space 18 3.9 Security Considerations 19 4.0 Communal Facilities in Apartments 21 4.1 Access and Services 23 4.2 Waste Management 23 4.3 Communal Amenity Space 24 4.4 Children’s Play 24 4.5 Bicycle Parking and Storage 25 4.6 Car Parking 25 4.7 Communal, Community and Cultural Facilities 26

4. Page 4

   Cite this pagePDF p. 4 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning AuthoritiesPage iv 5.0 Shared Accommodation/Co-living Sectors and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation 29 5.1 Shared Accommodation/Co-living Developments 31 5.2 Purpose-Built Student Accommodation 31 6.0 Apartments and the Development Management Process 33 6.1 Content of Planning Applications 35 6.2 Operation and Management of Apartment Developments 35 Appendix A: Minimum Floor Areas and Standards

5. Page 5

   Cite this pagePDF p. 5 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Page vPlanning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities Minister’s Foreword As Minister I am acting to respond to the housing crisis we face. I know that swift and decisive action is needed to ensure we deliver homes needed for people, right across the country, with a mix of housing types and tenures without compromising on essential building standards across fire safety, disability and accessibility, and our key environmental regulations. Apartments are an essential part of our housing infrastructure, and I want to ensure that we see more of them built in our urban areas, where they are needed most. In this spirit I welcome the publication of the Planning Design Standards for Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2025) under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). In April of this year, the Government and the Oireachtas adopted a revised National Planning Framework which sets out the need to plan for a significant increase in housing supply every year between now and 2040, in order to meet the housing needs associated with the projected increase in our population. The Revised National Planning Framework reaffirms the commitment to promoting a sustainable approach to growth which will support accessibility to employment, services and amenities for our people as a result of shorter travel distances from their homes, utilising interconnected public transport systems, allowing for more efficient infrastructure investments by the State, and supporting our transition towards a low-carbon economy. Fulfilling these commitments will require a substantial increase in housing output of all types, and we need a renewed focus on the delivery of apartments, particularly in central urban areas and in locations accessible to high quality public transport services. The delivery of apartments has in recent years, been particularly challenging and Ireland is not immune to global trends which have resulted in rising construction costs. Viability is a major issue for delivery, with a significant gap emerging between the cost of building apartment schemes and the comparable market prices. Rising costs have also had a major impact on the delivery of social and affordable housing and the ability to provide housing for those most in need. These Guidelines form a critical part of the suite of measures required to encourage the development of apartments, having regard to the essential role that apartments play in meeting the Government’s overall objectives relating to housing supply. Le gach dea-ghuí, Mr. James Browne T.D. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

6. Page 6

   Cite this pagePDF p. 6 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning AuthoritiesPage vi Minister’s Foreword I warmly welcome the publication of the the Planning Design Standards for Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2025) under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). The Government continues to support apartment development through funding initiatives and work to promote and facilitate the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), standardisation and other innovations, including rental reforms, in order to reduce costs. Notwithstanding the above, every effort must be made to further reduce costs where possible, to ensure that the State and the market can respond to changing household needs and focus the delivery of apartments where they are needed most. Building on the Revised National Planning Framework (2025) and the publication of the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2024), these guidelines will assist in addressing viability constraints within the construction sector and promote the increased delivery of apartments, while safeguarding standards, to address the growing need to supply a greater range of housing typologies to meet the needs of our citizens. John Cummins T.D. Minister of State for Local Government and Planning

7. Page 7

   Cite this pagePDF p. 7 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Page 1Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 1 1.0 Introduction

8. Page 8

   Cite this pagePDF p. 8 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)

   No text on this page — it is probably a drawing, a map, a photograph or a scanned page. See it in the PDF.

9. Page 9

   Cite this pagePDF p. 9 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Page 3Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 1 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Guidelines under the Planning and Development Act 2000 The Planning Design Standards for Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities “the Guidelines” constitute Ministerial Guidelines issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) (“the Act”). Planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála are required to have regard to the Guidelines and are also required to comply with any specific planning policy requirements (SPPRs) of the Guidelines, within the meaning of Section 28 (1C) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) in carrying out their functions under the Act. Accordingly, where SPPRs are stated in this document, they take precedence over any conflicting policies and objectives of statutory plans1. Where such conflicts arise, such plans should be amended by the relevant planning authority to reflect the content of these Guidelines. These Guidelines will apply to any application for planning permission that is submitted after the issuing of the Guidelines. 1.2 Overview of the Guidelines The Guidelines set out guidance, standards and policy requirements in relation to the design of apartment developments to take account of current Government policy and economic, social and environmental considerations. Since the publication of previous guidelines relating to apartment standards, the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines (SRDCSGs) were issued in 2024 under Section 28 of the Act and the revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was approved in April 2025, thereby providing an updated planning policy context for apartment development. In addition, the Government’s plan for housing, Housing for All, was published in 2021, setting out the ambition to significantly increase housing supply. More broadly, these Guidelines reflect the revised legislative framework that is set out in the Planning and Development Act 2024. The continued importance of the plan-led system that is informed by national policy is maintained and further clarified. The SRDCSGs establish the planning policies and objectives, including Specific Planning Policy Requirements, relating to residential development, which may include apartments, in settlements of all sizes. Density requirements are outlined within the SRDCSGs for various area types within settlements based on the NPF settlement hierarchy, proximity to services and other environmental considerations. The SRDCSGs also outline car parking ratios for all residential development based on accessibility to public transport services. With respect to apartment type residential development, the application of the policies, objectives and requirements of the SRDCSGs through the adoption by local authorities of statutory plans made under the Planning and Development Acts 2000 and 2024 will determine suitable locations for the delivery of apartments and other considerations, including their associated parking requirements. Such plans are required to be prepared through the SEA process under S.I. 436 of 2004, as amended by S.I. 200 of 2011. Matters relating to density and other factors that further inform the principle of undertaking apartment development at an individual site are set out in the SRDCSGs. 1 Any reference to a statutory plan(s) in these Guidelines refers to all development plans, local area plans or SDZ planning schemes made under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), or any development plan, urban area plan, priority area plans, coordinated urban area plans or SDZ or UDZ planning schemes made under the Planning and Development Act 2024.

10. Page 10

    Cite this pagePDF p. 10 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
    Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 1Page 4 These Guidelines set out, for consistent application by all planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála, the particular design parameters that apply to apartment development, where the principle of the development of apartments at any particular site has already been established in accordance with the statutory plan and consideration of the policies, objectives and requirements of the SRDCSGs. Any individual project where apartments are proposed for development may also require to be assessed under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU as amended). Policies contained in these Guidelines include matters relating to: • Apartment mix; • Internal space standards for different types of apartments; • Dual aspect ratios; • Floor to ceiling heights; • Apartments to stair/lift core ratios; • Storage spaces; and • Amenity spaces including balconies/patios. For clarity, these Guidelines apply to all housing or mixed-use developments that include apartments that may be made available for sale, whether for owner occupation or for individual lease, or for rental purposes. Unless stated otherwise, they apply to both private and public schemes. Specific standards are set out in respect of purpose-built student accommodation. The Guidelines also set out specific provisions relating to proposals involving existing buildings which are to be wholly or partly redeveloped or refurbished for residential use that includes apartments, such as for example, vacant upper floors above commercial premises. The Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 75 of 2022) provide for this type of change of use to be exempt from the requirement for planning permission and further encourage the development of apartment accommodation in cities and towns. Separately, the Building Regulations set out the legal requirements in Ireland for the construction of new buildings (including apartments), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. Their primary purpose is to protect the health, safety and welfare of people in and around buildings. The Building Regulations are set out in 12 Parts, dealing with matters such as structural safety, fire safety, ventilation, energy efficiency, accessibility etc. Each Part has an accompanying Technical Guidance Document (TGD) which provides technical guidance on how to comply with the Regulations in practical terms for common non-complex buildings2, including apartment buildings. Complementary guidance published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), which may be considered along with these Guidelines in assisting planning authorities, designers and communities, includes: • Design Manual for Quality Housing (2022) • Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets or ‘DMURS’ (2013)3. A Design Manual will also be issued as a companion document to the SRDCSGs, illustrating best practice examples with regard to the application of densities, housing typologies and place making, which will also be relevant to these Guidelines. 2 The Building Regulations and associated TGDs can be downloaded from the Department’s website (www.housing.gov.ie). 3 Jointly published with the Department of Transport.

Source Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Design Standards for Apartments: Guidelines for Planning Authorities (July 2025) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.