Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IT’S ANTICIPATED THAT Dublin City Council will need up to €750,000 to set up a dedicated team to enforce new short-term letting rules in the city – €350,000 more than originally thought.
From 1 June, regulations will kick in to tackle potentially illegal short-term lets in areas of high housing demand, like Dublin, and local authorities have said they will need to be sufficiently resourced.
Green Party councillor Patrick Costello has said, however, that Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has yet “to provide real details” of the new regulations.
“The councils will no doubt bear the weight of implementation and enforcement so it’s imperative the department consult with us,” says Costello, who argues that a lack of details is unfair for those using short-term letting platforms, too. “As much as the council, they need clarity and certainty”.
Last November, Dublin councillors were told that an estimated €400,000 would be required in order to establish a team to enforce these new rules.
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, meanwhile, has said that it will provide additional resources to local authorities, though so far it’s understood that Dublin City Council has been given no additional resources.
And there are concerns that, even when these rules come in, they will not be effective in returning lettings to the long-term rental market.
‘Logistically very difficult’
According to the latest figures from Inside Airbnb, there are 9,530 listings in Dublin and 4,152 of these were by hosts with multiple listings.
In areas of high demand, there have been concerns for some time that professional landlords are withdrawing houses and apartments that would normally be rented on a long-term basis and are instead renting them out as short-term lets, reducing the availability of long-term rental accommodation.
Under new rules proposed by Murphy, it’s anticipated that home sharing on platforms like Airbnb will only be allowed where it is a person’s primary residence. Homeowners who currently let a second property on a short-term basis will have to apply for ‘change of use’ planning permission.
The new regulations will also require people renting out their homes to register with their local authority.
An annual cap of 90 days will apply to renting out a home and homeowners can only rent out their homes to visitors for 14 days or less at a time.
But with the cost for Dublin City Council now anticipated to be approximately €750,000, local representatives have queried a lack of resources and some remain unconvinced the new rules will work at all.
Workers Party councillor Eilís Ryan has said that the rules will be “incredibly hard to regulate” even if the council is resourced sufficiently. Once it “gets down to the nitty gritty of trying to prove how many nights people have let bedrooms out for”.
“We don’t have a enough resources to regulate illegal dumping,” says Ryan. “Why should public money be used to regulate a private industry?”
With in excess of 5,000 separate properties listed on short-term platforms like AirBnB in 2017, tackling potentially illegal short-term lettings in the city is likely to be “resource intensive”, council management said back in November.
“The enforcement of short-term lettings is logistically very difficult with problems establishing ownership, gaining access to apartments and houses and most importantly a requirement to prove illegal occupation,” the council has said.
‘Bear the weight’
On several occasions from September last year, Airbnb representatives met with TDs, councillors and several ministers to discuss the proposed short-term letting regulations.
Laying out its business case to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in late August, Airbnb wrote – in documents released to TheJournal.ie under Freedom of Information – that the company “are in full agreement with the government that there needs to be rules put in place”. However, community support head Aisling Hassell added that these rules “need to be balanced and targeted at only those who are acting ‘commercially’ and not damage the lives of those who are benefiting from the abovementioned extra income”.
Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has argued that the rules should force platforms like Airbnb to inform the local authorities and the department which properties are let out and for how many nights these are let out.
Who knows how many nights a property has been let out?” asks Ó Broin. “AirBnB do.
Such a system, Ó Broin has said, could ease the burden on local authorities and prevent a Barcelona-style system whereby inspectors go from dwelling-to-dwelling to determine if rules are being broken or not, which in turn puts pressure on resources.
A spokesperson for Airbnb told TheJournal.ie, however, that “imposing an obligation on platforms to monitor what their users do across not just their own platform, but all platforms, is inappropriate and could be in contravention of EU laws”.
“It is also not clear how the Irish government could effectively enforce this obligation on large booking platforms that are headquartered in other countries (for example, Booking.com, Expedia, and Trip Advisor), and for rules to be effective they need to be applied equally by all platforms and providers”.
“We want to be good partners to authorities and work together to help people share their homes and follow the rules, but local authorities are best placed to lead enforcement efforts,” the spokesperson said.
‘Lead-in time’
According to a housing department spokesperson the new regulations are “to allow property owners sufficient lead-in time to prepare for and adapt to the proposed new laws”.
“The issue of additional resources is an important factor in underpinning the proposed new arrangements and one which the department will be engaging with local authorities on,” the spokesperson said.
The Minister has already indicated, additional resources will be provided to Dublin City Council to assist in this regard.”
The department, “in recognising the acute pressure on rents particularly in the Dublin area” has said that “additional resources will be provided to assist in proactive monitoring and enforcement of these amended regulations”.
Asked had the department allocated additional resources yet, a council spokesperson said that it is a matter for the department to decide upon.
The Green Party’s Costello has said that “the so-called sharing economy needs to do some sharing of its own” when it comes to enforcement of new regulations.
“There must be a requirement on Airbnb and similar platforms to share information when clients breach regulations. That needs to be part of any regulations. This will also help keep the costs down for Dublin City Council”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I’d love a bar a work paid for by the taxpayer. Only fair, I believe I’m worth it.
@Niallers: all my pints are paid for by the taxpayer. Me being that taxpayer
@Niallers: sure why not jobs and pensions for the rest of their the lives they dont give too damns about the ramifications
And rightly so.
@Dave O’Keeffe: Possibly but the Kerry Vinters association should have no say in politics and should be ignored
@Dave O’Keeffe: of course it should be gone, but what is the motivation of bar owners, particularly ones from Kerry, in lobbying politicians? how did he get access to someone to take a vote, when drink driving and health groups haven’t been able to.
@Gulliver Foyle: I suggest you read the article again. It was a vintners vote
@samstheman: you really think the people that watch our politicians drunk are on minimum wage?
@Dow Dubrov: All citizen’s are entitled to express opinions ,on Dáil Éireann.
@samstheman: if they are good barman they will be snapped up by by the trade.
@samstheman: silly me for thinking otherwise. Maybe the politicians will pay them to do offy runs instead? But seriously, job losses are bad obviously but it’s a job that should never have existed in the first place.
@samstheman: If true (Dail bar staff on mimimum wage) then how lacking in ethics is the running of the Oireactas. Subsidised prices and underpaid staff. Can anyone else confirm this, because if anyone can then I want to say anyone using Dail bar should be held in contempt.
@samstheman: you may “know for a fact”, but you’re wrong.
@Dow Dubrov: Closing the Dáil Bar is not a political action, it is a small step toward making legislative decisions rational. While intoxication of speakers was not obvious during the debate on the killing of babies, those voting must have been sedated in some fashion to allow them to harden their hearts as they did.
@Aodh . S. Ó’Ruairc: GTFO you lost, get over it.
@samstheman: They’d probably still use the space to serve food and non alcoholic drinks. In fact, maybe more TDs and staff might be willing to be seen there having a cup of coffee or tea & scone if the place was alcohol free.
@samstheman: I know for a fact they are not on minimum wage. It’s like a state job and very well paid. A bar job in there is highly sought after. Trust me. Job for life and pension.
@Dow Dubrov: while your opinion should be considered of course.
no wonder we are so far behind the rest of the world on cannabis legislation. self interested TD s .getting free drink .
@mick scanlan: subsidised, not free.
Kerry publicans don’t care whether there’s a bar in The Dail or not,it’s pure spite because of the new drink drive laws. Personally I don’t care if it’s closed but it shouldn’t be subsidised. Charge prices that make it self sustaining and do away with tabs,people pay for their orders as they get them like in every other pub.
@Tom Thumb: its not spite to point out hypocrisy.
@Tom Thumb: it’s not subsidised
Prices are only a few cent less than the nearby pubs and that’s city center prices. Also I’m pretty sure tabs were already done away with even though it was only a couple who didn’t pay. The last time they asked for the amount owed on tabs it was about 7 euro per TD.
@Seamus Mac: Who said it was spite to point out hypocrisy? If you think Kerry publicans suddenly decided they now have a big problem with there being a bar in the Dail out of concern for the nation,then sound.But the most obvious answer is very often the correct one and their Road to Damascus coinciding with new laws they were staunchly against,says to me it’s spite.
@Tom Thumb: if certain politicians are so concerned with alcohol they should start by doing something that effects them directly, for instance closing the Dail bars. That would be proper leadership.
@Tom Thumb: so you are fine with these numptys making decisions that impact the country and its citizens while under the influence. Can’t run a car after a pint, but run the country??no problem. Get a grip.
It would make more sense to close every pub in Kerry until the natives sobered up and stopped voting for the healy-raes.
@garrett: who are your TD’s?
Pint over the limit unable to drive but Pas laws that affects us all
Will lord Ross back this
Taxis home on travel allowance
As did deputy Mr Gerard Adams TD !!!!!!!
With the party whip system it’s clear that TD’s only need to be sober enough to vote along party lines and I’m assuming most party TD’s have little to do during Dail legislation vote sessions beyond turning up. It is a disgrace though to have subsidised facilities in the Dail. Mary O ‘Rourke is qouted as confirming taxpayer was footing bill for drinks at Garglegate FF party meeting (when Cowen gave radio interview next morning). How that is possible I don’t know, but if true then its even more disgraceful
Close the bar. There are plenty of watering holes in the vicinity of Kildare Street or Merrion Square depending on which gate they want to sneak out through.
No real option on this but the last time I checked they had to buy their drinks ! There was a problem with TD,s not settling their bills
It’s just ridiculous in this day and age if they want to have a drink good luck but not in their place of work
Also they can’t be stopped drink driving to and from the Dail not matter if over the limit . Especially if you are an asthmatic.
@Padraic O Sullivan: Source please?
What’s good for the goose is good enough for the gander!
It’s a great comment on the state of the country. It never dawned on me before now.and the rest of us are alcoholics according to our European friends.
All pubs should be basing prices in line with the Dail. All people should get pensions in line with the Dail. Expenses too. Members of Dail Eireann are supposed to represent the people, and this is how they live.
While this is welcome, i think its the kerry vintners association seeking revenge on the introduction of the tighter limits on drink driving law, which is hurting their business as many of their rural customers would drive to the pub to have 1 or 2 pints.
@Adrian: probably. Then the question becomes whether doing the right thing for the wrong reason is still doing the right thing or not
Begrudgers !! Like or hate them ,, they work hard let them have a pint
@therealcc: if you had a pint in your work place you’d be sacked..
@therealcc: work hard ? Are you one of them leeching b…ards
@therealcc: are you for real ?
@therealcc: no you wouldn’t. A lot of modern work places have beer taps on site, cans on the fridge etc.
@Yorkie1892: no you wouldn’t, there is hundreds of bar men working in bars and have a pint after work
@Patrick O Connell: yes but they have a drink after work, not during their work. That’s the difference.
@Patrick O Connell: Err…THAT`s after work pal, Not during their shift, my god, are you actually that stupid that you basically make a fool of your own comment while actually commenting?
@therealcc: Fair enough but not while at work .
@therealcc: …. “work & hard” in the same sentence to describe an Irish politician.
These workshy parasites are 100 % unemployable in any other sphere of industry.
I wouldn’t hire one to sweep my driveway.
And if I got a smell of alcohol off an employee he/she would be sent home and if it happened again they would be dismissed.
@therealcc: the world has gone mad ! I don’t think they are getting scutterified during work
@therealcc:, these people are making decisions that effect every person in this country.
Any alcohol is too much.
How would you feel about front line responders visiting the pub before duty ??
“What employer would allow drink being consumed in their workplace?” Sean hasn’t visited not heard of the tech companies in Dublin. He’s also surely ignoring his own place of work. Would be worried if a pub in Kerry wasn’t allowing drink be consumed on their premises!
@Joe Bourke: way to deliberately misinterpret the statement. Pretty obvious he’s talking about staff drinking while on duty. There’s a difference between going to a bar for hours and having a bottle of beer while at your work station.
I sense some nudging from DHR towards the Kerry branch
@samstheman: Bar staff move around all the time.
So it’s finally true. The kerryman jokes I’ve heard since I was a babby in the flats are all true!!!! Good on the kerrymen always good for a right oul knees up!!!!
There have been numerous instances of alcohol induced bad behaviour ” on the premises” over the years, & some cases of driving afterwards.
Times have changed, & the legislators need to apply stricter norms within their own place of work.
Close the boozer, and run the restaurant with the table drinks available menu after business hours only.
Plenty of other non alcohol drink options for earlier times.
Let the Healy-Raes run the Dail Pub.
They do a dab hand at being publicans in Kilgarvan
If I was a TD or Senator, I would have my pints in the Dáil Bar, get my Taxi and hop on the Dart and Relax looking forward to the next few Pints the following night and what is wrong with that,
Feck the Kerry Begrudgers.
What a sad little bunch.
Theyre right there should be no bar in the Dáil
Only work place with a bar on site
The Kerry boys.
Ditch the dail bar I say. No way In any Job there’s a subsidize bar to go to. And these are the people who are running the country. While I recon some are half cut putty legislation through. This is what we call Paddy logic. No wonder the country is still in a bad way. Clowns
It should be closed along with it on trains there is nothing good about alcohol
Yes it should you wouldn’t get into a bus with a drunk driver so why should I endorse a drunk politician making desicions that effect our country
Not fair to close it completely, having a beer at the bar is a right enjoyed by all the People… just stop funding it with taxpayers’ money!!!
@Nazim Moussaoui: that’s all ok but do you work in a bar I don’t know any businesses where major desicions are made with a bar and allowing drinking during work
It’s going to be funded with taxpayers money no matter what way you see it
have your say