No extra resources to tackle short-term lets in Cork

No additional resources have been given to either of Cork’s local authorities to enforce new rules on short-term letting.

Neither Cork City Council nor Cork County Council have been allocated any extra funds to add to staff in order to police the new regulations, under which landlords who rent out their homes on sites like Airbnb can only do so for 90 days a year.

The new rules, which came into effect this week, apply to pressure zones (RPZs) - areas where rents cannot legally rise by more than 4% each year.

They also require anyone renting a single room in their house to register with their local authority.

Originally announced by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy last October, the laws are an attempt to alleviate the housing crisis through preventing landlords from regularly putting short-term or holiday renters into properties that could be used for long-term renters.

All areas falling under the Cork City Council’s authority, as well as county regions like Carrigaline, Passage West, Cobh, Fermoy and Midleton, are RPZs. However, none have been given any extra funding to crack down on landlords who break the rules, penalties for which can include a €5,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment.

This is despite the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government confirming it will be entirely up to local authorities’ planning departments to police the new regulations.

A spokeswoman for Cork City Council confirmed that no additional resources for staffing have been provided and that the “additional responsibility will be borne by existing planning resources within the Council.”

However, the spokeswoman added that there are not as many instances of landlords using properties for short-term lets, compared to more in-demand areas such as those falling under the remit of Dublin City Council, which reported earlier this year that it would need up to €750,000 to enforce the new regulations.

A spokesman from Cork County Council said it could not confirm whether future extra resourcing is in the pipeline, but said:

As the regulations have only commenced this week, it’s difficult to assess the full impact of implementation on this department, so we’re dealing with it from current resources.

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government did not comment on which individual authorities will receive extra resources but said it will continue to engage with councils as the new rules bedded in.

“All local authorities already have planning enforcement resources which will be responsible for the new regulations,” a statement from the department said.

“The department continues to liaise with all local authorities with established rent pressure zones regarding additional enforcement resources for the new short term lettings rules if required.”