What do the new short-term letting rules mean for property owners and renters?

New short-term letting (STL) rules are advancing in Ireland with legislation before the Dáil this week and updated planning guidelines. Under the proposals, owners of short-term let properties must register them with tourism body Fáilte Ireland, and a property must have planning permission to operate as an STL. Planning authorities would be able to access data from the register to decide whether enforcement investigations are needed. The guidelines also say that, in most cases, planning permission won’t be granted for new STL properties in towns and cities with populations over 20,000. The measure aims to encourage some owners to return homes to long-term rentals to help ease the housing crisis, with Minister for Housing James Browne calling out short-term lets in areas facing shortages.