Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank an Teachta Ó Broin for bringing this Bill to the House and for his continuing work on the issue of housing.

The current state of the rental market means we must do whatever we can to ensure as much supply as possible is available to the thousands of individuals and families who are in immediate need of accommodation. That is why we have brought forward a Bill that simply calls for the laws that allow property owners to rent their properties on short-term leases to be enforced.

In many counties, especially in my own county of Tipperary, rental properties that are available to rent are very few and far between. Families are being issued with notices to quit and are then facing a rental market where demand is outstripping supply to such an extent that many families who never considered homelessness as a likelihood are now finding that prospect to be a very real possibility. Many properties that are available to rent are of little use to these families as they are only available for short-term lettings, typically through Airbnb.

The number of properties in County Tipperary recently available on short-term lets on Airbnb outstripped the number of properties for long-term rent on daft.ieby a ratio of nearly 20:1. That gives us an idea of how many properties advertised for rent are not available to families who need long-term rental.

Under current law, namely, the Planning and Development Act 2000, if a person is letting out his or her property for less than 90 days a year, he or she requires a letter of exemption from the local authority. Any person letting a property out for 90 days of the year, or letting out a second property, needs planning permission or a change of use planning permission retention. This current short-term letting regime relies on the planning system and standard planning to be enforced by the courts. Figures released to Deputy Ó Broin earlier this year by a variety of local authorities show that the level of enforcement of and compliance with the regulations is exceptionally low.

Given the current state of the rental market and severe lack of suitable accommodation for thousands of people throughout the country, it is crucial that those property owners who comply with the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 can make their properties available on short-term lets of 90 days or less. That is why we are bringing forward the Short-term Lettings Enforcement Bill to put stricter legislation in place to ensure estate agents and online platforms only advertise properties that are compliant with the planning regulations.

Our legislation will also see the Minister giving local authorities the power to issue spot fines to short-term letting providers and estate agents who advertise non-compliant properties. This will act as a further disincentive for the advertising of properties that are breaking the law. It does not limit genuine peer-to-peer home-sharing but seeks only to ensure the laws are enforced that prevent unscrupulous landlords from reducing the long-term rental market by bypassing regulations. Renters need a break and every avenue must be pursued to do this.

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