Short-Term Letting Regulations in Dublin Explained
First announced in July 2019 under the Residential and Tenancies Act, Dublin City Council has released more regulations about the effects of short-term lettings. The purpose of this is to ensure that property owners and property managers are hosting their holiday rentals responsibly.
Rent Pressure Zones are the only areas affected by the regulations, where they also all fall under the Dublin City Council. The intention is to bring back the long-term rental market to short-term let properties in the RPZ where there is high demand for residential housing.
If you are a property owner renting out your property for short-term lettings in Dublin and wondering if you should be concerned, here is all the information you need to know.
Table of Contents
- What are the short-term letting regulations in Dublin and how to comply?
- What are Rent Pressure Zones in Dublin?
- What are the Rent Pressure Zones restrictions exemptions in Dublin?
- How do I apply for an exemption from the Rent Pressure Zones restrictions?
- What is the Planning Permission?
- How to apply for a Planning Permission?
- What are the exemptions from the Planning Permission requirements?
- Short-term letting in Dublin with GuestReady
What are the short-term letting regulations in Dublin and how to comply?
The current short-term letting regulations in Dublin only affect properties in rent pressure zones. Here is what you can do as a property owner facing the new Airbnb regulations in the city of Dublin:
- You can let your home (Principal Primary Residence – PPR), for up to 90 calendar days a year, when you are not on the property. You must inform your local authority.
- If you choose to let your home (PPR) for more than 90 days a year, you need to ask your local authority for ‘change of use planning permission’
- If you choose to let your second home (Principal Secondary Residence – PSR) for short-term lettings, you must inform your local authority that you are applying for ‘change of use planning permission’
- If you’re not the owner of either property, you need consent for the legal owner that they use the residence for short-term lettings
Do bear in mind that the legislation governing these rules has not been enforced yet but is due to be soon, in the near future.
As a property owner, if you are currently letting your property for more than 90 nights a year, you can contact the GuestReady team to help you let your property successfully under the new Airbnb regulations in Dublin.
You will need to notify the Dublin Council with your notification form – Form 15.
What are Rent Pressure Zones in Dublin?
In Dublin, a Rent Pressure Zone (commonly named RPZ) is a designated area where rent setting is limited and cannot exceed general inflation, as defined by the HICP – Harmonised Index of the Consumer Price (or 2% per year in case the inflation is higher). Unless an exemption is in place, this rule applies to all new and existing tenancies in Dublin.
Rent Pressure Zones are located where finding affordable housing is a big challenge and where the existing rents are very high and most likely to keep rising. This is unfortunately a reality in several parts of the country and the RPZ were created as part of the short-term letting regulations in
Dublin to promote a more sustainable rental market.
Both tenants and landlords should be able to obtain a comfortable situation, as these restrictions are applied.
What are the Rent Pressure Zones restriction exemptions in Dublin?
3 Rent Pressure Zones restriction exemptions are in place in Dublin:
- Properties that have not been rented for two years before the immediate tenancy commencement date.
- A new tenancy in a protected structure that has not been let out in the previous 12 months before the tenancy commencement date.
- Properties that meet the ‘substantial change in the nature of the accommodation’ criteria.
How do I apply for an exemption from the Rent Pressure Zones restrictions?
If the property figures among one of the situations mentioned above, the owner can apply for an exemption and won’t be obliged to use the HICP inflation rules. In this case, the Notice of Exemption from RPZ Rent Restriction should be sent to the RTB – Residential Tenancy Board with the supporting documentation.
How do I find out if I live in a RPZ?
There is a Rent Pressure Zone Calculator that can be used to find out if a property is located in a Rent Pressure Zone.
To access this information, you simply have to fill in the address or Eircode of the property. This tool can also be used to find out what is the maximum rent increase permitted in the area of the concerned property.
Here is the map of the current Rent Pressure Zones in Dublin. They will remain as such until 31 December 2024.
What is the planning permission in Dublin?
Planning Permission is an official process by which you apply and ask your local authority in Dublin to agree to your proposed property work or rental business activity. An assessment will take place and the request can be approved or refused by the local authority. The main purpose of the planning permission process is to stop inappropriate or excessive building construction and control the short-term letting activity in areas that are saturated.
You will need planning permission in Dublin
- If you are going to build an extension or make other changes to your existing house
- If are going to change the use of your property, land or building, as is the case when renting out your property for short-term lets.
There are 2 types of planning permission in Dublin:
- Permission (also called full permission): local authority accepts your request and agrees to your work/change of use/activity. It is usually valid for 5 years.
- Outline permission: you only apply to see if the local authority agrees in principle with your request. This is usually the case when there is a big project of construction or whenever large works of extension are needed. It is valid for 3 years.
Once the outline permission is issued, you have to submit detailed drawings and get full permission to start the works.
How to apply for a Planning Permission in Dublin?
To apply for a Planning Permission, you must send a requirement called Form 15 Statutory Notification to the Dublin City Council no later than 14 days before the beginning of the property’s first short-term tenancy of that year.
Two other forms are needed to complete your application:
- A notification to the City Council to announce when the 90-day threshold has been reached
- A report that summarises the total amount of lettings at the end of the year.
On the other hand, property owners and property managers are exempted to report to the council the tenancies that last for more than 14-day periods, as those are considered medium-term lets.
What are the exemptions from the planning permission requirements in Dublin?
There are some exceptions to the general rule of Planning Permission in Dublin. You do not need to ask for permission to change certain vacant commercial properties into homes for example. Home sharing is also allowed on an unrestricted basis.
More information on these exemptions can be consulted in the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to 2021 document, prepared by the Department of Housing, Local
Government and Heritage.
Short-Term letting in Dublin with GuestReady
Guestready provides property management services in Dublin. We can clarify the details of the short-term letting regulations in Dublin and help you stay within the rules.
We take the hassle out of hosting and carry out all guest communication and approval, house preparation, check-in, key exchange, and guided check-outs. We’ll keep your property in tip-top condition, ready for your next guest, so you don’t have to worry about the small things.
We ensure your listings have professional photography, with your listing optimised to ensure you earn the highest return on your investment. We’ll even provide you with a dedicated property manager to answer any of your queries and give you peace of mind that your property is in good hands.
Estimate your revenue, for free.
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