Rethink urged on holiday lettings

Jacinta Doolan, founder of Trident Holiday Homes

Louise McBride

The founder of Trident Holiday Homes has called for the Government's new short-term letting rules - which now prohibit many owners of second properties from renting them out for short stays unless they have planning permission to do so - to be revisited.

Since the start of this month, owners of holiday homes or investment properties must have planning permission to rent out their property to tourists, or for stays of up to two weeks - if that property is in a rent pressure zone (RPZ).

Four in five holiday homes do not have planning permission as holiday properties, according to Jacinta Doolan, founder of Trident Holiday Homes and vice-chair of the Irish Self Catering Federation. "The introduction of these regulations means traditional owners of tourism-based products in RPZs now have to apply for change of use to commercial, while their neighbours in counties outside the RPZs do not," she said.

A widening of RPZs means more holiday home owners now fall under the new rules.