Short-Term Letting Providers Mocking New Govt Rules

Short-term letting providers are continuing to mock the government and ignore the latest rules for the sector, Sinn Féin has claimed.

The party received information from Dublin City Council last week, revealing only 13 change of use planning permissions have been received by DCC since the new regulations came into force this summer.

Housing representative Eoin Ó Broin TD believes these figures prove providers are continuing to short term let properties without seeking the required planning permission.

The information has sparked another call for Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to reconsider his position on legally obliging short term letting platforms to police their listings. He has also been called to ensure that local authorities have the resources required to enforce the planning regulations.


Shedding more light on the new figures, Deputy Ó Broin said: "Given that data from Inside Airbnb today indicates that 4,663 entire homes/apartments are being let in Dublin today, just 13 change of use permissions have been requested.

"A further 238 have applied for and been granted a planning exemption on the grounds that they are letting out the property for less than 90 days.

"Based on that information not even 5% of the short-term letting providers are complying with Eoghan Murphy's new laws.

"It's also concerning that only 176 enforcement investigations have commenced since the beginning of July, with just one prosecution initiated.

"Short term letting platforms should be held also share some responsibility and should not be advertising illegal short term lets."

(CM/MH)