Only 11 short-term lets registered

Just 11 short-term let properties in Cavan are registered with the local county council.

From July 2019, regulations required property owners in certain parts of the country to register a property with their respective council if they were letting all or part of a premises for short-term stays.

The rules, introduced over three years ago, meant those who own such properties, including houses, flats or part of a property, would need to obtain 'change of use' planning permission from the Council. They apply to properties within Rent Pressure Zones.

While no parts of County Cavan have been designated within RPZs, 11 short term lets have been registered with Cavan County Council. A short term let is designated as such if the property is made available for a period of 14 days or less.

However, there are calls for stricter regulations outside of RPZs given the increasing pressure on the general rental market across the country and rising rent costs.

A search on short term letting site Airbnb on Monday afternoon showed 75 properties available across County Cavan, including houses and apartments. By contrast, just 10 properties are available for long term rent in all of County Cavan according to daft.ie

New regulations had been expected to deal with short term letting issues in September, however this has now been pushed to November 3. The rules, themselves a temporary measure, are only expected to be in place until next year when a new registration system for short term lets is expected to be introduced.

The temporary regulations will aim to ensure websites like Airbnb do not advertise properties for short term lets if the required planning permission has not been obtained. Under the new registration system, homeowners will have to register their properties with tourism body Fáilte Ireland.