Landlords face Airbnb ban from June as new rules are introduced

Changes are coming.

From June onwards, landlords are facing new restrictions as councils will get greater powers over short-term lettings in areas of high housing demand.

Essentially, this will impact landlords that let their properties out on sites like Airbnb.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is set to introduce legislation that will mean that only the principal residence, or family home, can be rented on a short-term basis.

Landlords will now need permission to lease their properties on a short-term basis. Councils will also now have the power to refuse permission to owners of such properties to use them for full-time, short-term lettings.

Homeowners though, will still be allowed to host people in their own homes for short periods of time. Homeowners can let their primary residence on a short-term basis for a maximum of 90 days in a year and up to 14 days at a time. This being said, they'll need to register with their local authority.

Only properties with permission to operate as a tourist or short-term let could be used for this purpose.

The new changes will come into effect on 1 June 2019.

A spokesperson for Airbnb has said: "1 in 5 Irish families use Airbnb to share their homes, boost their income and explore the world, and rules that legitimise home sharing are in everyone's best interests. But home sharing didn't cause Ireland's historic housing concerns, and many will be disheartened to hear a false promise that these proposals are the solution. Community hospitality and holiday rentals are the backbone of many local economies, and cutting that lifeline will hit many communities hard."