Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Housing and Rental Market: Discussion

9:30 am

Mr. Earnán Ó Cléirigh:

It is difficult to say because when we look across the Residential Tenancy Board registrations and compare it with information on Airbnb, we cannot see the end of tenancies under RTB registrations, we can only see them beginning. We do not know what is happening. On the face of it, it appears there are a growing number of tenancies and of landlords registered with the RTB. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that people are moving. I have certainly stayed in Airbnb accommodation which was clearly previously used for long-term tenancy. We do not have the information. We can look across at other jurisdictions and we can see that it has happened. They have information and it is likely that it is happening here. Perhaps Dr. Downey might have something more concrete to add.