An Airbnb landlord has predicted that proposed restrictions on short-term lets will not increase the number of properties in the long-term rental market. 

New regulations that come into force in May will generally ban new short-term lets in all of the country’s cities and many large towns. 

Previously, the Government had announced the ban would apply in towns with a population of over 10,000 people. 

However, following sustained lobbying from a number of rural TDs, the Department of Housing announced towns with a population of under 20,000 would be exempt. 

On Lunchtime Live, Airbnb landlord Lorna Cahill said, as a grandmother with two daughters who rent, she was “very concerned” about the housing crisis. 

However, she rejected the idea that a crackdown on Airbnbs is a solution. 

“I've been hosting for nine years in a granny flat attached to my home,” she said. 

“It has never, ever been in the long-term rental market, nor will it ever enter it.

“It's too small; it's a beautiful holiday let - it's got two bedrooms, kitchen cum sitting room, one bathroom, but there is nowhere to hang a wet coat. 

“There's no storage whatsoever - there's no even wardrobes.” 

The Airbnb app. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Ms Cahill described her property as “not suitable for somebody to live in long-term” and said there were "thousands" of people like her would decline to rent out their properties if they could not do so on a short-term basis. 

“There will be no uplift of huge numbers of long-term accommodation entering the market if this legislation is used as a blunt instrument and Airbnbs are forced to close,” she predicted. 

“That is not going to happen.

"We will not be re-entering the long-term market because we were never in it in the first place."

Ms Cahill continued that the impact of Airbnb on rural Ireland has been “really positive” and described it as vital to sustaining the tourist industry. 

“Thankfully, we still have Airbnbs open,” she said. 

“We still have the odd tourists around; restaurants, pubs and attractions will not survive.

“Surfing schools in Lahinch, none of these will survive if Airbnbs or short-term lets are all closed down.”

Main image: Houses in Kerry. Picture by: Alamy.com.