Planning your Irish getaway? You might want to keep an eye on a heated debate over local accommodation that could affect your stay and your wallet.
Booking a place to stay in new places has gotten a lot easier thanks to sites like Airbnb. They’re super handy and offer a real feel for local life.
However, here in Ireland, this surge in short-term homes for travelers is causing a bit of a stir.
The heart of it all?
Balancing the housing needs of locals with the wishes of visitors like you, with the Irish Government and the European Union butting heads.
The Clash Over Housing
Today, during a parliamentary session, Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin didn’t hide his irritation about the hold-up in new rules for short-term rentals.
“The Government is going to keep up pressure on the European Commission regarding legislation to regulate short term lettings in Ireland”
This is a big issue: while so many are without a home, visitors are renting thousands of local properties. It’s frustrating for folks here, especially those struggling to find long-term housing.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik pointed out this shocking fact: there are 18,000 places on Airbnb, but we’re also facing a serious homelessness crisis.
What This Means for Your Trip
If you’re dreaming of a vacation here, you might be wondering, “What does this ruckus mean for me?”
Well, if the government gets tough on short-term lets, that cute countryside house or city apartment you’re eyeing could become harder to book or cost you more.
A Europe-Wide Issue
It’s not just an Irish issue, either. Cities all over Europe are struggling with the same thing—too many tourists and not enough places for residents to live.
Take Florence, for example; they’ve completely banned short-term rentals in their historic center because it was getting out of hand.
Then there’s the European Holiday Home Association (EHHA), which reckons short-term rentals are getting a bad rap, blamed for city living problems they didn’t cause.
The Way Forward
While lawmakers are going back and forth on this, there’s a plan in place for a new online registration system in 2024 where short-term rentals will need a valid Fáilte Ireland number to list on popular accommodation sites.
For the moment, if your heart’s set on visiting Ireland, it’s best to keep tabs on this as it might just influence where you hang your hat when you come over.