Planning Guidelines

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2019

Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Questions (982)

Noel Grealish

Question:

982. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a house which is zoned commercial and on the grounds of a hotel in a rent pressure zone will be subject to short-term letting regulations coming into force on 1 July 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23822/19]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government

The Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No.2) Regulations 2019 (the 2019 Regulations), which amend the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, provide that development involving a change of use relating to home sharing and limited short-term letting in a principal private residence in a rent pressure zone, is exempt from the requirement to obtain planning permission, subject to compliance with specified notification requirements to the local planning authority.  The 2019 Regulations will come into effect from 1 July 2019, concurrent with the commencement of the underpinning primary legislative provisions in the recently enacted Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019.

The new arrangements do not apply to properties  in rent pressure zones which already have a specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short term letting purposes, including as holiday homes. Holiday homes are properties which have been purposely designed, constructed and approved as dedicated tourism accommodation complexes sharing communal facilities and would normally be subject to planning conditions in relation to their continued operation, management and maintenance as a commercial development rather than a residential estate. The new arrangements do not affect the continued operation of such form of tourism accommodation .

However, if the house in question has a planning permission for use as residential accommodation, is located in a rent pressure zone  and the owner wishes to use it for short term letting purposes, this is a change of use of the house and accordingly, planning permission will be required irrespective of its commercial zoning.