Families left without homes in Galway as landlords turn to Airbnb
From this week's Galway City Tribune - Families are being forced into emergency accommodation as landlords turn to short-term lets in the more lucrative tourism market.
The scale of the problem is highlighted by the fact that there were over 15 times more properties available on Airbnb than there were residential units on offer on the country’s leading lettings website, Daft.ie this week.
While there were in excess of 300 properties on Airbnb on Wednesday, just 21 were up for rent on Daft.ie.
City Councillor Níall McNelis has lambasted the Minister for Housing for failing to address the mounting pressure on the rental market as a result of short-term letting – hitting out at what he said were ‘more empty promises’ to curb its prevalence.
“It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. You had the Minister coming out this week saying that we need to look at short-term lets as a way of tackling the housing crisis.
“We have been highlighting this for years and they have done nothing meaningful to improve the situation. They brought in a rule three years ago that for anyone in a Rent Pressure Zone such as Galway who lets out their property on a short-term basis for more than 90 days, planning permission is required,” said the Labour councillor.
“But it’s not enforced, and the City Council doesn’t have the resources to enforce it.”
Galway City Council’s Planning Department has previously warned that it was a difficult area to effectively enforce. And while a designated staff member in City Hall was due to be appointed to focus on this area in particular, the role has not been filled, despite it being advertised for over two years.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see the May 6 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.