Why Dublin’s short-let rules are changing

Short-term lets have been under pressure in Dublin for years. The city already sits inside a Rent Pressure Zone, and since 2019 many whole-home short lets in Dublin have needed planning permission, especially if they are not your main home or if you pass the 90 night cap. dublincity.ie+1

At the same time, Ireland and the European Union have been working on new rules that make it easier for local authorities to see what is happening on platforms and to enforce local planning decisions. The EU short-term rental regulation agreed in 2024 sets out how booking platforms must share data with national authorities. enterprise.gov.ie+1

The Irish Government has responded with the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill and a plan to “rebalance short-term lets”. A key part of that plan is a national register for short lets, managed by Fáilte Ireland, which is due to start on 20 May 2026. gov.ie+2failteireland.ie+2

For Dublin hosts, this means the planning rules you already know will not disappear. Instead, the new register will sit on top of them. You will need to satisfy both sets of rules, not choose one or the other.

Thinking about short-letting your Dublin home but not sure where to start?
See what a managed short-let setup could look like for your property before the new rules arrive.

The national Short-Term Letting Register from May 2026

What the register is

Ireland is creating a single online Short-Term Letting Register, run by Fáilte Ireland. It is scheduled to go live on 20 May 2026, once the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill becomes law. failteireland.ie+2failteireland.ie+2

At a high level, the register will:

• Cover short-term accommodation across the country
• Require each short-let “unit” to be registered every year
• Give every registered unit a unique registration number
• Require hosts to show that number on all adverts and listings

The register is meant to work alongside local planning and housing policy, not replace it.

Who will need to register

The Government has stated that anyone offering short-term stays of up to and including 21 nights will have to register. oireachtas.ie+1

In practical terms, that is likely to include:

• Whole-home holiday lets
• City break apartments
• Many serviced apartments and homeshare rooms offered to tourists
• Most listings on major platforms where stays are shorter than three weeks

There will be some limited exemptions, which should be confirmed in final guidance closer to launch. If you are unsure whether your setup will be covered, it is best to ask Fáilte Ireland or take advice before assuming you are exempt.

What hosts will need to do

Although the final online process is still being built, current Government and Fáilte Ireland guidance suggests that hosts will need to: failteireland.ie+1

• Create an account on the register
• Register each short-let unit they operate
• Confirm that the unit is compliant with planning, building and fire safety rules
• Renew registration each year
• Add the registration number to every listing and advert

If you cannot show that your short let is allowed under planning rules, you may have issues getting or keeping a registration number.

Want someone to handle the setup work for you?
Houst can prepare your listing, help you gather the key documents and manage day to day hosting, while you focus on the property itself.

‍

Registration vs planning permission in Dublin

The rules that already apply in Dublin

Dublin’s planning rules for short lets are built around three core ideas: dublincity.ie+2dlrcoco.ie+2

• A short-term let in Dublin is a let of 14 nights or less.
• If the property is your principal private residence, you can usually let the whole place on a short-term basis for up to 90 nights a year while you are away, but you must notify the council using specific forms.
• If the property is not your principal private residence, or if you pass the 90 night cap, you normally need planning permission for change of use, and in practice this can be difficult to obtain in many parts of Dublin.

Letting out a spare room in your main home while you are living there is treated differently from letting the entire home. Homesharing in your main home can be less restricted, but you still need to check safety and any conditions in your lease, mortgage or management company rules.

How the new register fits with Dublin planning

The new register will not cancel or replace Dublin’s planning system. Instead, you will have two sets of rules to think about:

• Planning rules in Dublin define a short let as 14 nights or less and include the 90 night cap for your main home.
• The national register will apply to stays of up to 21 nights and will require you to show that your short let is legal under planning before or during registration. failteireland.ie+2gov.ie+2

In simple terms, you can think of it like this:

• Planning decides whether you are allowed to use a home as a short let.
• The register records short lets that are allowed and gives them a number.

If there is a conflict between what the planning rules say and what you want to do as a host, you should resolve that with Dublin City Council before you try to rely on a registration number.

‍

Enforcement is increasing: what Dublin hosts should expect

With a national register and the EU data-sharing rules in place, authorities will have clearer sight of what is happening on booking platforms. Government guidance signals that enforcement will step up once the register is live. gov.ie+1

Key points for Dublin hosts:

• Platforms will have a legal duty to remove or refuse listings that do not have a valid registration number. enterprise.gov.ie+2Eoghan Corry's TRAVEL Extra+2
• Local authorities will be able to compare registration data with planning records and follow up where they see a likely breach.
• Fáilte Ireland will have the power to issue fixed fines for adverts that do not show a valid registration number. gov.ie+1

Practically, this means that “flying under the radar” will be much harder. If your listing looks like a full-time short let in a city centre block, you should expect questions unless you can show planning permission and a valid registration number.

Want a management partner who keeps an eye on compliance as well as bookings?
Houst can help you design a hosting plan that works within Dublin’s rules, with clear reporting on nights, income and guest activity.
Get a tailored management proposal →

Planning permission for short lets can be confusing, especially if you own more than one property.

‍For a general overview of how short-let planning works, read our short-term let planning facts for landlords and homeowners →

Fines and penalties under the new regime

Under the existing and upcoming rules, there are several layers of penalties to consider.

Host-level penalties

Under the Short Term Letting and Tourism framework, Fáilte Ireland will be able to issue a fixed-payment notice, currently set at around three hundred euro, to property owners who advertise without a valid registration number. It can also bring more serious cases to the District Court, where fines can reach several thousand euro. gov.ie+2lawsociety.ie+2

Separately, planning enforcement remains in place. If you run an unauthorised short let that needs planning permission but does not have it, your local authority can take action under planning law. Outcomes can include enforcement notices and, in serious cases, prosecution.

Platform-level penalties

The legislation will also allow the State to fine platforms that fail to meet their obligations. Reports suggest that fines can reach up to 2% of a platform’s turnover for repeated or serious non-compliance with the register and data-sharing duties. Nolan Farrell & Goff+1

This gives platforms a strong incentive to check host registration numbers and to cooperate with Irish authorities. In practice, hosts should expect more requests from platforms to prove compliance.

Nothing here is legal advice, and penalty levels can change. Always check the latest guidance before you rely on any specific figure.

‍

Possible future changes to planning policy

Alongside the register, Ireland is updating its wider planning framework. Under the new Planning and Development Act, the Government is preparing a National Planning Statement that may include further changes around short lets. enterprise.gov.ie+1

Areas under review include:

• How short lets are treated inside and outside Rent Pressure Zones
• Whether a 90 night cap should apply in more cities and large towns, not only Dublin
• How to align Irish rules with the EU short-term rental regulation
• How to balance tourism needs with the pressure on local housing

At the time of writing, these pieces are still being consulted on. Treat them as “watch this space” rather than firm law. If you plan a large short-let portfolio, or you are buying with short lets in mind, it is wise to follow Government updates closely or speak with a local planning professional.

‍

Tax and reporting: what is not changing

The new register focuses on planning and transparency. It does not create a new “Airbnb tax”, but it will make it easier for authorities to see who is hosting, which may feed into enforcement of existing tax rules.

In broad terms:

• Short-let profits are taxable and must be declared to Revenue.
• Income tax is charged at the normal Irish rates, and you may also pay PRSI and the Universal Social Charge on your net profits.
• If your short-let turnover passes the relevant threshold, you may need to register for VAT and charge VAT on guest stays, especially if you are operating more like a business than an occasional host. Citizens Information+1

The exact thresholds, reliefs and deductions that apply to you will depend on your wider income and how Revenue classifies your activity. None of this is tax advice. You should confirm your position with Revenue or a qualified tax adviser before making decisions.

If you are weighing up short lets as part of a wider investment plan, it can help to understand how short-term and long-term strategies compare. For a broader view of short lets, read our complete guide to short-term rentals →
/blog/short-term-rentals-ultimate-guide

‍