Dublin City Council backs crackdown on Airbnb amid housing crisis
Dublin City Council has backed a call for stronger regulation on short-term lets amid growing concern that Airbnb is worsening the city’s housing crisis.
Labour Councillor Fiona Connolly called for urgent action to address the impact of Airbnb at a special September council meeting. She stated that Airbnb is fuelling the shortage of affordable rent and it is vital the Council acts swiftly to strengthen the regulation of short-term lets.
“Airbnb presents a clear issue that is compounding the housing crisis in our city. Across Europe, cities have acted decisively to restrict short-term lets, recognising the damaging effect they have on local housing markets,” she said. “It is now time for Dublin to follow suit.
“I am calling on Dublin City Council to identify and implement measures to curb the excessive use of Airbnb so that homes can be made available to renters who need them. The reality is that far too many families and individuals are locked out of the rental market because so many properties are being diverted into the short-term lettings market.”
With too many properties in Dublin being diverted away from long-term tenants toward servicing a tourist market, Cllr Connolly stressed that “Dubliners deserve secure, affordable homes under fair rental agreements.”
“Without stronger governance, the imbalance between housing for tourists and housing for residents will only worsen. Other European countries have shown leadership in tackling this problem, and Dublin must not fall behind,” she added.
Examples of other countries' action include Amsterdam, where Airbnb rentals are limited to 30 days per year, with a maximum of four guests, and owners are required to notify the municipality. Berlin, similarly, has a maximum renting period of three months per year.
“I am calling on Dublin City Council to allocate the necessary resources and funds to strengthen the governance of short-term rentals such as Airbnb. We need robust enforcement, proper oversight, and a fair rental system. The time to act is now,” Cllr Connolly said.
While Cllr Connolly’s motion was supported by the majority of councillors, there was some pushback from representatives. Fine Gael Cllr Patrick Kinsella and independent Cllr Malacy Steenson said the motion was shifting blame onto small landlords renting on Airbnb.
“This housing emergency was not created by small or accidental landlords, and I think many landlords feel the rules as they stand are unfair because they shoulder a disproportionate amount of restrictions compared to the big players in the market,” Cllr Kinsella said.
“They lose out on the flexibility if this motion goes ahead and they’re also blamed unfairly for the housing shortage that they didn’t create,” he added.
Similarly, Cllr Steenson said the core of the housing shortage is caused by central government and that, considering inflated hotel prices, it’s important for tourists to have alternative accommodation options. “They blame small landlords and now we have institutional landlords who don’t care and leave properties empty,” he said.
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