Design Standards for Apartments: Guidelines for Planning Authorities

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   6.0 Apartments and the Development Management Process 6.1 Content of Planning Applications All applications for planning permission for apartment schemes or mixed housing developments that include apartments, should submit a schedule that details the number and type of apartments and associated individual unit floor areas, as part of the planning application process. A schedule of apartment accommodation should identify the proposed apartments that are at least 10% greater than the minimum floor area standard in schemes with 10 or more apartments. Apartment unit schedules should detail proposed private amenity space and internal (and any external) storage space associated with each apartment. The schedule should also detail the aspect of each apartment, i.e. whether dual or single. In the case of single aspect apartments, the schedule should specify the orientation. Floor areas should be in square metres and should be calculated from internal room dimensions. In addition to the above, planning application drawings must include the principal dimensions of each room as well as the aggregate floor area of each room. The provision of acceptable levels of natural light in new apartment developments is an important planning consideration as it contributes to the liveability and amenity enjoyed by apartment residents. It is also important to safeguard against a detrimental impact on the amenity of other sensitive occupiers of adjacent properties. Section 5.3.7 of the SRDCSGs outlines requirements for the provision of acceptable levels of daylight in new residential developments and adjoining properties. Planning authorities are requested to practically and flexibly apply the general requirements of these Guidelines in relation to refurbishment schemes, particularly in historic buildings, some urban townscapes and ‘over the shop’ type or other existing building conversion or refurbishment projects, where property owners must work with existing building fabric and dimensions. Ultimately, Building Regulations must be complied with and planning authorities must prioritise the objective of more effective usage of existing underutilised accommodation, including empty buildings and vacant upper floors. 6.2 Operation and Management of Apartment Developments Certainty regarding the long-term management and maintenance structures that are put in place for an apartment scheme is a critical aspect of this form of residential development. It is essential that robust legal and financial arrangements are provided to ensure that an apartment development is properly managed, with effective and appropriately resourced maintenance and operational regimes. In this regard, consideration of the long-term running costs and the eventual manner of compliance of the proposal with the Multi- Unit Developments Act, 2011 are matters which should be considered as part of any assessment of a proposed apartment development. Page 35Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 6

2. Page 42

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   Accordingly, planning applications for apartment development shall include a building lifecycle report which in turn includes an assessment of long term running and maintenance costs as they would apply on a per residential unit basis at the time of application, as well as demonstrating what measures have been specifically considered by the proposer to effectively manage and reduce costs for the benefit of residents. The Multi-Unit Developments Act, 2011 (MUD Act) sets out the legal requirements regarding the management of apartment developments. In this regard it is advised that when granting permission for such developments planning authorities attach appropriate planning conditions that require: • Compliance with the MUD Act, • Establishment of an Owners Management company (OMC) and: • Establishment and ongoing maintenance of a sinking fund commensurate with the facilities in a development that require ongoing maintenance and renewal.Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 6 Page 36

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   Appendix 1 Minimum Floor Areas and Standards

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   Page 39Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning Authorities Appendix 1 - Minimum Floor Areas and Standards Minimum overall apartment floor areas Studio 32 sq.m (n/a)a One bedroom 45 sq.m (38 sq.m)a Two bedrooms (3 person) 63 sq.m (55 sq.m)a Two bedrooms (4 person) 73 sq.m Three bedroom (4 persons) 76 sq.m (70 sq.m)a Three bedrooms (5 persons) 90 sq.m a Figures in brackets refer to 1995 Guidelines Recommended minimum widths for the main living/dining rooms Apartment typeb Minimum width Studio 4mc One bedroom 3.3 m Two bedrooms (3 person) 3.6m Two bedrooms (4 person) 3.6 m Three bedrooms (4 persons) 3.8 m Three bedrooms (5 persons) 3.8 m b Note: Variation of up to 5% can be applied to widths in all apartment types, subject to overall compliance with required minimum overall apartment floor areas. c Note: Combined living/dining/bedspace, also includes circulation Recommended minimum bedroom widths Apartment typed Minimum width Minimum floor area Studio 4me 25 sq.me Single bedroom 2.1 m 7.1 sq.m Double/Twin bedroom 2.8 m 11.4 sq.m d Note: Variation of up to 5% can be applied to widths and floor areas in all apartment types, subject to overall compliance with required minimum overall apartment floor areas. e Note: Combined living/dining/bedspace

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   Planning Design Standards for Apartments | Guidelines for Planning AuthoritiesPage 40 Minimum storage space requirementsf Studio 3 sq.m One bedroom 3 sq.m Two bedrooms (3 person) 5 sq.m Two bedrooms (4 person) 6 sq.m Three bedrooms (4 persons) 6 sq.m Three bedrooms (5 persons) 9 sq.m f Note: Where secure, allocated storage is provided in addition to that within individual units, it may be used to satisfy up to half of the minimum storage requirement for individual apartment units, but shall not serve to reduce the minimum floor area required to be provided within each individual apartment unit, as set out in these Guidelines. Minimum recommended floor areas for private amenity space, where provided Studio 4 sq.m One bedroom 5 sq.m Two bedrooms (3 person) 6 sq.m Two bedrooms (4 person) 7 sq.m Three bedrooms (4 persons) 7 sq.m Three bedrooms (5 persons) 9 sq.m Minimum recommended floor areas for communal amenity space, where provided Studio 4 sq.m One bedrooms 5 sq.m Two bedrooms (3 person) 6 sq.m Two bedrooms (4 person) 7 sq.m Three bedrooms (4 persons) 7 sq.m Three bedrooms (5 persons) 9 sq.m

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   | Development Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities131 1 Prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage gov.ie

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.