The Irish government has approved the priority development of the bill on the registration of short-term tourist rentals and the publication of the general outline of the bill.
The bill, introduced by Minister Catherine Martin, will require all short-term rental adverts to be registered with the Irish Tourism Body. Failte Ireland. It is hoped that the requirement to register properties will discourage landlords from putting their properties up for short-term rental.
Under the new legislation, Fáilte Ireland will have the power to levy fixed payment notices of €300 on owners who operate without a valid registration number, while Fáilte Ireland inspectors will also have the ability to bring cases before the district court, where the owners is liable to fines of up to €5,000.
Platforms that offer short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Booking.com, must also ensure properties advertised on their sites are registered or face a fine of €5,000 per listing.
The legislation affects any host listing for 21 nights or less and requires hosts to register through an online portal. Hosts will need to enter their details and confirm that they have planning permission, if applicable.
The new legislation aims to achieve the Housing for All goal of using existing housing more efficiently.
Government approved drafting of short-term tourist rental registration bill
This could potentially bring thousands of units back into the long-term housing sector in line with #HousingForAll Goalshttps://t.co/nLwSxPGd7K pic.twitter.com/4V7TOtdjtB
— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) December 7, 2022
Under regulations already in place, landlords in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) are required to obtain planning permission if they let their entire home on a short-term rental for more than 90 days a year. or if they rent a second one. property for short term rental.
It is rare for planning permission to be granted for a short-term rental in an area with high housing demand, such as Dublin downtown.
Minister Martin said on December 7: “The measures announced today are an important step in reducing the availability of private residential rental housing.
“Housing for All includes a goal to make more efficient use of existing housing and we are aware that in some parts of the country an imbalance has emerged between short-term and long-term rental markets.”
“We have looked at the international context and conducted significant research in this area, which has illustrated the problems caused by an imbalance in supply. These new regulatory controls will ensure balanced and sustainable tourism development.
“Addressing housing challenges will also help address staffing issues faced by many tourism businesses, as it will provide housing options for tourism and hospitality workers in these areas.
“Working with the Oireachtas, I hope the legislation will be enacted in the first quarter of 2023.
“To minimize disruption to the tourism industry and tourists, landlords operating in the area who need to apply for a change of use planning permit are permitted, for a limited period of up to six months, to continue to offer their accommodation as tourist accommodation while their application is being considered.
“These new measures will align our regulatory approach with key tourist destinations across Europe, including Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona.”
Fáilte Ireland’s managing director, Paul Kelly, noted that Fáilte Ireland has conducted “detailed research into the experience of cities and countries around the world and has designed a registration system which will allow owners to register quickly and easily short-term rental properties”.
Kelly said Fáilte Ireland is “conscious of the need to balance an appropriate mix of long-term private hire and short-term hire”.
In a statement, Airbnb welcomed the new legislation, saying the company wants to be part of the solution to the “historic housing challenge facing Ireland”.
Derek Nolan, head of public policy for Ireland at Airbnb, said in a statement that the new regulations were “good news for everyone”.
“Every day, families in Ireland rely on Airbnb for affordable accommodation and extra income, all the more vital as the cost of living continues to rise. Clear and simple rules are good news for everyone and will help more families share accommodation to boost their incomes while strengthening communities in Ireland,” said Nolan.
A record 11,397 people were registered as homeless in Ireland last month, according to figures from the Department of Housing.
Housing charity Focus Ireland said the number of homeless people had risen by 29% in the past 12 months.
There is currently 16,181 properties listed on Airbnb in Ireland, compared to just 1,376 properties on the Irish property Daft.ie website.
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