Plans to reduce Airbnb lettings

NEW regulations cracking down on the letting of properties on Airbnb in rent pressure zones will go before Cabinet in the coming weeks.

Figures this week showed rents have increased by 7-8% in the past year.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: ‘There’s no question that rents are high and they are still rising. So we’re going to need to take some additional actions.

‘The Minister for Housing, Minister Murphy is going to bring in additional legislation to make sure that the rent pressure zones are properly enforced, to bring in a rent register so people can see what rent other people are paying in the area they live in, that will mean more transparency.

‘We’ll be taking action to Action: Leo Varadkar reduce the number of apartments and houses, particularly in the city areas, that are being used for short-term lettings like airbnb. That legislation will be before the Dáil in the next couple of weeks. It will still be possible rent out a room in their house on a short-term basis,’ he said.

Earlier this month, Mr Murphy said his rules would be based on the system in Toronto where hosts are allowed to rent their primary residence for 180 nights a year but must register with local authorities.

Airbnb proposed a 180-day limit last year but has criticised the ban on renting secondary homes.

The move comes as figures released this week showed the average national rent as being €1,094, a rise of €77 from last year.

City rents are much higher: Dublin’s is €1,587; Cork’s €1,123; Galway’s €1,065; Limerick’s €880 and Waterford’s €646, according to the latest Residential Tenancies Board rent index.

The 7.6% growth rate in the last quarter prompted widespread calls for reform in the private rental sector.

Labour councillor Rebecca Moynihan said Minister Murphy was ‘dragging his feet’ on housing policy.