Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
1068. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the steps he has taken to address the proliferation of short-term lettings in urban areas such as those by a company (details supplied) which is causing great difficulties for persons who need to rent and live in towns and cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10922/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the measures to help address pressures in the private housing rental market, new planning legislative reforms to regulate the short term letting sector - as provided for in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 and supplementary regulations entitled the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 - came into effect on 1 July 2019.
The reforms are primarily aimed at addressing the impact on the private rental market by the use of residential homes for short term tourism type letting in areas of high housing demand. The provisions aim to return much needed housing supply from the short-term letting sector back to the long-term rental market and apply in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs) under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended.
Under the arrangements applicable in rent pressure zones:
- Short term letting is defined as the letting of a house or apartment, or part of a house or apartment, for any period not exceeding 14 days.
- Homesharing (the letting of a room or rooms in a person’s principal private residence) continues to be permissible on an unrestricted basis and is exempted from these planning requirements.
- Homesharers are allowed to sub-let their entire principle private residence (house or apartment) on a short term basis for a cumulative period of 90 days per calendar year where they are temporarily absent from their home.
- Where the 90 day threshold is exceeded, change of use planning permission is required.
If a person homeshares their principal private residence in a RPZ and wishes to avail of these planning exemptions, s/he needs to register this with their local planning authority and fulfil specified reporting obligations.
However, where a person owns a property in a rent pressure zone which is not their principal private residence and intends to let it for short term letting purposes, s/he is required to apply for change of use planning permission unless the property already has a specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short-term letting purposes.
These measures are now effective in 22 local authority areas - those where the RPZs are located and the private rental market is most acutely affected by short-term letting. Dedicated funding has been allocated by my Department to local authorities to assist in the enforcement of the legislative provisions.
In this connection, I might add that I recognise the tourism benefits that the self-catering sector brings to many parts of the country, and am not opposed - as a longer-term approach - to the broader regulation of tourism activity, including the possible development of a new regulatory or licensing/registration system for commercial platforms and short-term letting agents which was recommended in the final Oireachtas Working Group report on the regulation of short-term lettings. However this is beyond the scope of the planning code and my remit. I corresponded with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport regarding the possible implementation of the recommendation which would fall to him to progress. I remain of the view that the possibility of developing a more nuanced approach to the regulation of short-term letting through regulation of online platforms rather than the regulation of properties in RPZs merits consideration, thereby enabling parts of the country that benefit from the tourism that comes from short-term letting to be able to continue to do so.
