Converting a 1‑bed Dublin apartment into a 2‑bed — is this sensible/allowed?

[Tangoireland]

Hi all,
I’m considering buying a one‑bed apartment in the Dublin City Center area and would love some advice from people who’ve done something similar. The apartment has a very large open‑plan kitchen/dining/living room (6.4m x 4.4m) and I’m thinking of partitioning part of the living room to create a second double bedroom.
I plan to rent the place out long‑term, and in Dublin city centre renters generally prioritise the number of bedrooms over living room size. The new bedroom would have a proper window and enough space for a double bed, so it wouldn’t be a “box room”.
I have three main questions:
1.Is this normally allowed in apartment blocks?
It would be a simple stud partition — no structural walls touched, no changes to plumbing or electrics beyond adding a light and a socket.
2.Do I need permission from the Owners’ Management Company (OMC/freeholder)?
I assume I do, but I’m unsure whether they can refuse something like an internal stud wall.
3.If I eventually sell, can the apartment be marketed as a proper 2‑bedroom?
I know in the UK/Ireland an agent generally lists based on the current layout as long as rooms meet minimum standards, but I don’t want any issues later on.
Has anyone here converted a 1‑bed to a 2‑bed by splitting a large living room?
Did your building management raise any issues? And was it worth it financially?
Any real‑life experience or pitfalls to watch out for would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks so much!

As someone who has rented in Dublin City for many years, it would be very unlikely that someone will pay you the equivalent rent for a two bedroom apartment when it will be very obvious that it’s partitioned. The doorways tend to be a massive give away just for a start. Why would they when they could pay the same for an actual two bed?
People who want to have as many people as possible in an apartment eg. Families who can’t afford anywhere bigger or adults flat sharing usually doing shift work will want to pay for fewer bedrooms and create their own temporary divider for privacy if they want to. All you need is a curtain really. A partition that’s not built in won’t even provide much more in terms of sound proofing etc.
I remember landlords doing similar when bedsits were done away with and it was mostly technically illegal usually because of the size.
Anyway, you’d have to contact the local planning authority and ask the management company but I doubt it would be allowed otherwise a lot more landlords would be trying to maximise their profits this way.

I don't know the answers to your questions, but this sounds awful. 6x4 isn't 'very large' if it includes the kitchen and dining space. Why shouldn't people get to eat at a table. To fit a double bed and a wardrobe, surely you will need over 2.4 mx2m at very least leaving not much space for the kitchen, a sofa and a table, with then potentially twice the number of intended people using the communal spaces.

I agree.
Whether it’s adults sharing or a couple/ person with a kid/s, the shared living space is very important.
Otherwise they have to just sit in their bedrooms.
Think of a typical house.
Minus the bedroom(s), the rest of the apartment is the equivalent of the rest of the house.
They have to actually be able to live in the place, not just sleep.
There’s a massive housing crisis. People don’t value number of bedrooms more than living space because living space doesn’t matter. They are just desperate.

Agree with everyone else. A double bedroom would be around half that space, not leaving enough room for a kitchen and living area.

Apparently, in Ireland, a single bedroom must be a minimum of 7.1 m² and at least 2.1m wide to qualify as a bedroom.

Would there be issues with the management company? in many cases they must give permission for building works.
would there be issues wirh PTRB? would yhd doace be considered too small?

You mentioned that you were planning to buy a one bed in Dublin city centre and change it to a 2 bed. I think from the sizes you give us you don't have enough space to change the living accommodation to into a bedroom and living accommodation.
I also think that the management agency won't let you do this.
I would also be very careful of buying in Dublin city centre because it's rough.

You mentioned that you were planning to rent out this apartment. I would look into the new rental laws. You will have to give tenants a 6 year lease. You will have to register with the prtb and pay a lot of tax on your rent. Then if you're tenants stop paying rent it will take you at least 18 months to get them out of the property.
Also people are refusing to move out of places now because they can't rent anywhere else.

If you have a buy to let mortgage the banks will look at a higher deposit from you and charge a higher interest rate as well. A bad tenant or tenants can stop paying rent and possibly destroy a place before you get the out at least 18 months later.

If you wanted to buy a rental property I would look in Galway instead as you get more for your money and there is a shortage of rental places there.

You mentioned that you were planning to buy a one bed in Dublin city centre and change it to a 2 bed. I think from the sizes you give us you don't have enough space to change the living accommodation to into a bedroom and living accommodation.
I also think that the management agency won't let you do this.
I would also be very careful of buying in Dublin city centre because it's rough.

You mentioned that you were planning to rent out this apartment. I would look into the new rental laws. You will have to give tenants a 6 year lease. You will have to register with the prtb and pay a lot of tax on your rent. Then if you're tenants stop paying rent it will take you at least 18 months to get them out of the property.
Also people are refusing to move out of places now because they can't rent anywhere else.

If you have a buy to let mortgage the banks will look at a higher deposit from you and charge a higher interest rate as well. A bad tenant or tenants can stop paying rent and possibly destroy a place before you get the out at least 18 months later.

If you wanted to buy a rental property I would look in Galway instead as you get more for your money and there is a shortage of rental places there.