The government are looking to implement new stricter rules on the short term letting of non-principal private residences in rent pressure zones.

Under new rules it will be an offence for property owners and short-term lettings websites such as Airbnb to advertise rentals that do not have the required planning permission under proposals agreed by the Government. Under the current rules, anyone looking to rent out a second home to the holiday market must apply for planning permission to do so. The new regulations would see both the property owners and the online platform fined for advertising properties that do not have the necessary planning permission.

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said the Cabinet had approved these stronger regulatory controls which would result in more homes returning to the long-term rental market in rent pressure zones, where rents are highest and where households have the greatest difficulty finding affordable accommodation.

If enacted, the changes to the law will mean that from September 1, online platforms will not be able to advertise properties in rent pressure zones that do not have the proper planning permission.
Non-compliance with these provisions will be an offence for both the individual property owners concerned and the online platforms. It is understood the penalty for non-compliance will be a fine of €5,000 or six months in prison, or both. Fines of €1,500 per day would also apply if a property continues to be advertised after the initial conviction.

The proposed amendment is to the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No 2) Bill progressing through the Oireachtas, which is expected to be enacted before the summer recess.
Announcing his plans, Mr O’Brien said the move would ease pressure on the rental market. “We know that significant numbers of properties have been withdrawn from the long-term rental market in recent years and diverted for use as short-term lettings, negatively impacting on the supply and availability of private residential rental accommodation with associated knock-on implications for rental prices,” he said. “This trend has been made easier through the use of online platforms and has been particularly acute in urban areas of high housing demand.”

He said the new controls are to be in place for six months initially while the Department of Tourism alongside Fáilte Ireland establish a new registration system for short-term lettings.