COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, May 12, 2025
QUESTION NO. 4
QUESTION: Councillor D. Adelaide
To ask the Chief Executive for a report on the use of short-term lets within the county. Report to include the methods used to investigate if short-term lets have obtained the appropriate planning permission/exemptions; how many properties the council has investigated and processed for not adhering to short-term letting regulations
REPLY:
On 1st July 2019 the government introduced new Regulations which allow for the use of a “house” for the purposes of Short Term Letting, in a rent pressure zone, in restricted circumstances provided statutory notifications are sent to the relevant Local Authority.
- 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 - the place where such person normally lives) which is permissible on an unrestricted basis and is exempt from the 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 where they are temporarily absent from their home. Where the 90 day threshold is exceeded, change of use planning permission will be required.
A homesharer whose principal private residence in a rent pressure zone and who wishes to avail of planning exemptions needs to register this intent with the 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 a change of use planning permission unless the property already has a specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short-term letting purposes.
This requirement for planning permission only applies to homeowners in Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) who:
- Let out their entire home (principal private residence) for short-term lets of more than 90 days in total while they are away.
- Let out a second property for short-term lets.
There are a limited number of registrations recorded by SDCC and one application for planning permission was granted in 2024 for change of use from existing residential dwelling to short term stay / guest house.
Planning authorities can avail of a range of measures to enforce against unauthorised short term letting. In SDCC, written complaints regarding alleged unauthorised use of residential dwellings are investigated by the planning enforcement team using the enforcement provisions in Part VIII of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).