The housing crisis continues, especially in rural parts of the country where Airbnbs have grown to "staggering and outrageous" numbers. 

That's according to one listener, George, from Clare, who was speaking to Lunchtime Live after the Irish Examiner reported that there are more than 18,000 properties available to lease on Airbnb, compared to just 1,299 rental properties available on Daft.ie.

In May, Newstalk conducted similar research, finding that there are almost 100-times more properties available on Airbnb for short-term let in Co Kerry than rental properties on Daft.

There are also 66-times more Airbnb properties on offer in Co Clare than there is to rent on Daft.

George said the ratio of Airbnb to houses in Clare has meant he has had to move house "every eight or nine months".

"In the winter, obviously there's very little Airbnb," he said. "So, houses become available – there's a little surge of houses available in County Clare."

George has now resorted to living in a converted mobile home, that has no hot water system.

"I basically got sick of constantly moving and it's quite stressful on [my] child to constantly move every nine months," he said.

"I can't house share because I'm a parent, and so I just live in this crazy house situation.

"I'm one of the lucky ones because I have so many friends that constantly move houses in the summer and have nowhere to go – often having to leave County Clare."

Legislation

George said Government are "dragging out" the legislation that would limit the amount of Airbnbs on the market.

"I would like to see regulation that does not occur only in rent pressure zones," he said.

"New legislation requires hosts listing rooms in rent pressure zones to inform their local authority.

"I don't know how well that is enforced, judging by the amount of Airbnb that has surged in the last year."

A new development of 800 homes presently under construction in Carrigaline County Cork. Image: David Creedon/Alamy

Jerry, an Airbnb host, said the apartment he lets "could not" be rented out long-term.

"It's basically adjoining our house," he said. "If things didn't go well, we were snookered."

Jerry said short-term hosts like himself are being "targeted" for not "doing something to solve the rental crisis".

"When you look at it, there are so many things that should be done on a much higher scale," he said.

"The average rent price in Ireland is €1600 – that will pay a massive mortgage over 30 years.

"There are investment funds that are coming in and taking our housing stock and they are not going to sell them on, they are going to rent them."

Homes in rural Ireland. image: Piere Bonbon / Alamy

Hugh, a landlord, said the underlying issue is the "delivery of houses".

"The likes of Airbnb service serves a certain sector that's needed in an open economy, which we are in Ireland," he said.

"The more you regulate, the more interference you create in an open market.

"It has a ripple effect with landlords, small landlords leave the market."

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