A housing charity has called for a short-term letting register to crack down on short-term lets for tourists.

Threshold wants regulation to safeguard the availability of long-term homes it believes are increasingly being rented out to tourists, instead of being used to house people long-term.

CEO John Mark McCafferty says there isn't enough rental accommodation in the capital or Galway city.  

“There’s a situation where thousands of properties - particularly in areas of both high housing and tourist demand, such as Dublin and Galway - where many houses and apartments are being leased out to holiday makers under short-term lets,” he said. 

“That’s further impacting supply to the long-term rental sector.”

Woman wearing a hat and holding a suitcase as she enters an airport. Image: Anna Berkut / Alamy Stock Photo

A short-term let is when a landlord rents out a property for less than 14 days. 

If you live in a Rent Pressure Zone, you need to apply to your local authority for planning permission to change the use of your property. 

This rule was introduced in 2019 as part of a series of measures to bring property back into the long-term rental market. 

Main image: Man puts key in the entrance door of an apartment. Image: Xavi Martin / Alamy