Dublin City Council rules full-time Airbnb rentals need planning permission
It comes after an apartment in Temple Bar was advertised as a high-yield investment opportunity.
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has ruled an apartment in Temple Bar that had been used as a full-time Airbnb rental needed planning permission for the change of use.
Temple Bar residents recently asked the council for a determination after the property appeared for sale on property website Daft.ie for €425,000.
The advertisement for the two-bed apartment described it as “an exceptional 18% gross yield real estate investment opportunity”. It said it was rented out on Airbnb with a 90% occupancy rate over 2015.
Temple Bar residents have raised concerns about the rising number of properties in the area being used as holiday accommodation, particularly in the midst of a severe housing shortage.
A quick scan of Airbnb shows hundreds of apartments in the area available to rent short-term:
The council ruled the Crown Alley apartment is not exempt from the requirement to get planning permission.
In its decision, it said the proposed change of use for short-term letting does constitute development as it is a material change of use in regard to its character and the impacts on planning and sustainable development of the area.
Forced out for holidays lets
Frank McDonald, who chairs the Temple Bar Residents Association, said he is aware of a number of cases in which long-term tenants were “forced out by large rent increases or have their tenancies terminated” only to find these properties later appearing on holiday rental sites.
He said Temple Bar residents “warmly welcome the ruling and presume it will be followed up by enforcement action”.
“It also sends out a clear message to others in the burgeoning but unregulated Airbnb sector that planning permission is needed for conversion to holiday lets.”
On its website, Airbnb advises hosts in Ireland to check the laws and regulations that apply in their county. It also refers to a possible requirement for planning permission in certain situations.
The company has recently started rolling out a range of incentives to encourage Irish hosts to list their properties on the site. A range of spin-off businesses, such as Airbnb concierge services, have also emerged to cash in on the popularity of the home-sharing website.
Written by Michelle Hennessy and posted on TheJournal.ie
