Restrictions on short-term rentals will have 'devastating impact in rural and coastal areas'

Self-catering providers have already urged Tourism Minister Catherine Martin to halt the planned reforms, which they claim could put them out of business. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

New restrictions on Airbnb and other short-term rentals will have a "devastating impact in rural and coastal areas," an Oireachtas Committee has heard.

A number of Government politicians have vented anger at the legislation, that will impose new rules on properties advertised for short-term rentals.

Last month the Government approved the priority drafting of a Bill that would oblige such properties, including those advertised through online platforms, to be registered with Fáilte Ireland before they are rented out.

The Government has said that the register will allow Fáilte Ireland, for the first time, to have a full picture of tourist accommodation across the State, significantly enhancing their ability to promote and drive tourism investment.

The Department of Housing has estimated that up to 12,000 properties could come back into the long-term rental market as a result of new measures.

However, Fianna Fáil Senator Malcom Byrne hit out at these estimates and claimed there is no hard evidence to prove that up to 12,000 properties could be freed up.

He told the Oireachtas Tourism Committee the new legislation would have a "devastating impact in rural and coastal areas" as not all properties are suitable for long-term rental. He said:

There are lovely beachfront properties in Wexford that are beautiful in July and August, but you don’t want to be living in them in January.

Fergal O’Leary of Tourism Ireland told the committee that the figure had been arrived at based on "information scraped from letting websites and based on similar regulations which are in place in other jurisdictions".

He added: "If you don’t register you will not be able to advertise your property, and that gives us much more visibility on the market."

Not all properties fit long-term bill

But Fine Gael's Ciaran Cannon said the rules need to be more nuanced to take into account regional variations and particular situations.

Mr Byrne also raised the matter in the Seanad, stating there is a view that doing something to tackle short-term lets being available would suddenly make available a lot more long-term properties. However, he said:

"The majority of lettings on Airbnb are rooms in family homes. They are not available throughout the year. They are often available only during particular periods of the year, in some instances when festivals are on. I am conscious of the Wexford Opera Festival, the Rose of Tralee, and the Cork Jazz Festival. In order to accommodate people under pressure, families make rooms available for people who are guests.

"In other instances we have business people coming here who may require accommodation for a certain number of weeks while they find permanent accommodation elsewhere," he told the Seanad.

Self-catering providers have already urged Tourism Minister Catherine Martin to halt the planned reforms, which they claim could put them out of business.

The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) claims Government reforms to short-term letting laws “will kill thousands of tourism jobs across rural Ireland while also putting thousands of small accommodation providers out of business”.