Irish Examiner view: Register is welcome move

Short-term lets

he advent of short-stay letting, exemplified by AirBnB and similar websites, has revolutionised the accommodation industry, but not always for the better.

The accommodation crisis is now such a many-headed beast that it is impossible to see the single legislative stroke that will solve it, but yesterday saw a welcome step forward. The announcement of a short-term lettings register by ministers Catherine Martin and Darragh O’Brien is at least an attempt to bring order to a sector which is bordering on the chaotic.

The advent of short-stay letting, exemplified by AirBnB and similar websites, has revolutionised the accommodation industry, but not always for the better. Barcelona, for instance, banned short-term rentals unless those renting had a specific licence to do so. At the time the impact on locals’ quality of life by increased numbers of tourists was held up as a reason for the ban, but the city authorities also blamed short-term letting for sharp increases in both rents and house prices, a familiar complaint to Irish ears.