Cork City Council has 'attitudinal problem' around short-term lets, says councillor

Roughly 300 properties are currently available to rent across Cork city on Airbnb, while there are just 33 rental properties listed on Daft.ie at the time of writing

Lorna Bogue said: “Planning authorities should make decisions within 12 weeks of sending a warning letter.”

More than 20 properties in Cork city served with warning letters for allegedly operating unauthorised short-term lets have yet to see a decision made by Cork City Council past the 12-week enforcement deadline.

Data from the council’s planning map shows that over half of these cases have been ongoing for more than a year. One property in Ballincollig was served with a warning letter in 2021, but the case remains ongoing.

The leader of An Rabharta Glas, Green Left, Lorna Bogue said that “planning authorities should make decisions within 12 weeks of sending a warning letter,” adding that there was an “attitudinal problem in Cork City Council” towards enforcing housing legislation.

Under rules introduced in 2019, landlords in Rent Pressure Zones must acquire planning permission from local authorities before they rent out a second property for short-term lets.

Planning authorities may take legal action against landlords who break these rules, and a warning letter is the first stage of the process. However, the data shows that Cork City Council is failing to make decisions on cases in a timely manner.

Cork City Council said: “Where possible, it is preferable to work with property owners to inform them of their obligations and resolve cases informally. Those who allegedly breach the legislation are given the opportunity to regularise their situation by applying for a short-term letting exemption or applying for change of use planning.” 

They also said that not every property listed on Airbnb is for short-term use.

A further eight warning letters have been served against properties since the start of the year. Four cases have also been dismissed by the council after a warning letter was served.

Paul Sheehan of Cork Simon Communities said that “20 properties when you’ve got 500-plus people in emergency accommodation in February would make very little dent, but every property that becomes available would be absolutely welcome.” 

Roughly 300 properties are currently available to rent across Cork city on Airbnb. By contrast, there are just 33 rental properties listed on Daft.ie at the time of writing.

Those in emergency accommodation are at a “severe disadvantage,” continued Mr Sheehan, with just over 30 rental properties available to them in the city. “They’re pretty much at the bottom rung of the ladder and any of those properties I would be sure are well beyond their reach in terms of affordability.” 

Legislation intended to crack down on unauthorised short-term lets was passed by the Government in July last year but has yet to come into effect.

This new law will require online platforms hosting short-term rental properties, such as Airbnb, to check if the property has the required planning permission before putting it on its website. Fines of up to €5000 can be issued in the event of breaches.

Further proposed legislation will see landlords required to register their short-term let with Fáilte Ireland.

Speaking in December, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said she hoped the bill would be enacted in the first three months of this year, but it has been delayed after the European Commission has extended the “standstill period” until the end of the year.