The national housing charity, Threshold, has analysed figures that show there are now over 20,000 entire homes advertised as short-term lets across Ireland, compared to 2,300 homes available nationwide in the private rental market.
Despite a well-documented supply crisis in Ireland’s long-term housing market, the government is not tackling short-term lets as a priority, according to Threshold. Data analysed from Inside Airbnb - which collects and collates figures from around the world from the popular lettings and homestays website - shows that the number of entire properties listed in Ireland, excluding home share listings, was 20,176, just 12 weeks ago. While hosts can short-let a principal private residence for 90 days without a change in use in planning permission, there are almost 8,000 full properties on the popular short stay website, where the host operates more than one property.
This compares to recent figures by Daft.ie last month, which showed that there were less than 2,300 homes advertised to privately rent nationwide. In addition, in 2024 there were only 167 requests for ‘change of use’ planning permission to local authorities in the 26 counties combined - which is legally required for properties operated as short-term lets of more than 90 days a year. Threshold is asking government to urgently pass the legislation to create a register of short-term lets to ensure the return of some of these homes to long-term use, without further delay.
Threshold CEO, John-Mark McCafferty, said: “The bottom line here is that there could be many homes brought back to the long-term market. Existing planning regulations are not enforced and short-term let regulations are not yet passed into law. This is resulting in thousands of homes being advertised for short-term lets in this lucrative market, while the housing and rental crisis escalates nationwide. This is within the government’s gift to solve.
“Despite the fact that Fáilte Ireland has created the infrastructure for a register of short-term lets, the government is yet to pass the legislation to bring the short-term market into line with the rest of the hospitality sector. Given this, and an EU Directive that must be applied by next year, what is the issue here? It is a straightforward measure that could free up much needed housing.”
In Galway, the issue is particularly acute where 292 hosts are advertising 1,009 properties across the city and county.
McCafferty continued: “The government claim housing is the number one issue – and directly under their noses is a way in which to address that, and free up some of the huge pressure in the housing market – yet they keep kicking this issue down the road. We need action now to address this important issue.”
