Just seven planning applications made to use short-term rental platforms in Cork

A couple who own a property in Kinsale, Co Cork, failed in their bid for planning permission to change the use of an apartment to a short-term let.

Cork City Council has received just seven planning applications from property owners seeking to change to use properties for short-term accommodation on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com.

Legislation to crack down on the use of private rental accommodation as short-term lets was introduced four years ago in a bid to ease the pressure on the housing market. It was designed to stop the use of homes as short-term lets and instead see them used for long-term renting once again.

In 2019, the Government enacted legislation that required property owners to apply to their local authority for planning permission to change the use of the property for tourism and short-term letting purposes.

It applies to homeowners in rent pressure zones who let out their entire home — if it’s their principal residence — for short-term lets of more than 90 days in total while they’re away. It also applies to letting out a second property for short-term lets.

Local authorities are entitled to take legal action for suspected breaches of the legislation.

Furthermore, a new registration system for short-term lets is being developed by Fáilte Ireland with property owners being required to register annually.

Unlike in Dublin where the city council has initiated legal proceedings for alleged failures to comply with the law, Cork City Council said it has not yet taken such action due to “successful engagement with property owners”.

A search on Airbnb shows dozens of listings in and around Cork city. At the time of print, there are just 41 rental listings on Daft.ie for Cork city. 

Figures provided by the city council show that there have been just seven change-of-use planning applications made since the legislation was brought in. Of these, just one has been granted.

Cork City Council said it actively investigates Airbnb and other platforms’ listings for property in its area.

“The Short Term Letting Unit engages with the property owners to ensure that regulations are being adhered to and assist the property owners to regularise their lettings, where appropriate,” a spokesperson said.

“Successful engagement with property owners has meant that no legal actions have been initiated by Cork City Council since the regulations were introduced.” 

Kinsale planning permission

It comes as a couple who own a property in Kinsale failed in their bid for planning permission to change the use of an apartment to a short-term let, with An Bord Pleanála saying it would “exacerbate the existing shortage of availability of long-term rented accommodation” in the area.

In the Kinsale case, the couple had appealed to An Bord Pleanála after initially being turned down by Cork County Council for planning permission.

They argued that the previous owners couldn’t find a suitable tenant for long-term letting and that short-term letting was essential for tourism in the area.

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An inspector for An Bord Pleanála, however, said the property was located in a designated rent pressure zone “which is characterised by a high demand for housing, high rent inflation and a limited supply of long-term accommodation available”.

An Bord Pleanála refused the planning bid and said it would be inconsistent with Government policy to return properties to the long-term housing market.