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Tiny fraction of short-term lets within regulations

Compliance is low on new laws restricting Airbnb and other short-term lets, new figures show.

A total of 249 property owners have registered with Dublin City Council but 7,218 properties are listed on Airbnb, according to monitoring website Inside Airbnb.

And the Council now wants 1,000 properties investigated each year, by its Short-Term Lettings Unit which has 11 staff and four enforcement officers.

A report to the council's Planning Committee says the unit follows up public complaints with inspections.

A total of 395 investigations are under way with 87 properties pulled down from short-term letting websites.

Notified

Property-owners can let space for 90 days a year, once authorities are notified but only 223 applications have been received since last July when the regulations came into force, with €5,000 fines and/or six months imprisonment for breaches.

Those who want to let out property that is not their principal residence must apply for planning permission and are warned it is likely to be refused.

Only 16 planning applications in Dublin city have been made, with 13 so far either refused, withdrawn or declared invalid.

Inside Airbnb figures show that out of 7,218 properties listed in the capital, more than half involve entire houses or apartments.

A full 45% appear to be the same owner of multiple properties.