Vacation Rental.  Short Term Rental. Register. Most in Demand  Holiday Accommodation.

Best Vacation Rental Site in Ireland.

 

The best value for Self-Catering in Ireland is by booking with owners directly via their own website or the LetsGoSelfCatering.ie website, cutting out the OTA’s (Online Travel Agents). Vacation homes are all over the country, with options ranging from castles to lighthouses, to cottages, and glamping. Engage with your hosts and ask them to recommend the best local restaurants, and places to see for adventure and activity which can be pre-booked. Enjoy a safe relaxing family holiday, bring the car, bikes, football, and perhaps your dog. There is still availability for the 2022 season, particularly in late Summer and Autumn.

 

What is Self-Catering in Ireland?

The term Self-Catering accommodation normally refers to a whole house or apartment. You may rent a house on its own grounds, one

in a scheme of purpose-built cottages, disabled friendly, on the grounds of a hotel or golf course, group friendly, lighthouses or the traditional thatched houses.    The region can be coastal, rural, on a farm, holiday village, or have eco-credentials.

Rental is normally from 3- 14 days for holidays and many people choose to stay a few days in each vacation home to enjoy all Ireland has to offer.

 

 

How long has Self-Catering been in Ireland?

Self-Catering in Ireland has been a cottage or SME industry since the 1960s. In the 1990’s groups of agents, owners of small groups of houses approved by Failte Ireland/Irish Tourist Board, and individual owners, came together to form the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF). The group, which had been formed in Mayo, called the Irish Cottage Holiday Home Association also joined the group. The ISCF now represents the owners at Government and at the EU level.

The ISCF sits on the Failte Ireland Tourism Advisory Board which was formed when Covid-19 caused a pandemic in March 2020. Monthly meetings have been held for the past 2 years. The ISCF also participates in the Tourism and Hospitality Forum led by Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin, T.D., and Minister for Enterprise and Trade, Leo Varadkar T.D.

 

What is the Maximum length of rental for Short Term Rental?

The longest rental term for one property is under 6 months, after which the rental becomes a long-term rental and falls within the terms of the Rental Tenancies Board (RTB) legal agreements for long-term rental management.

 

How to Find a Short-Term Rental house in Ireland?

There are many ways to find rental properties in Ireland. The LetsGoSelfCatering.ie website is owned by the ISCF and allows direct with the owners of properties. You may also find properties with agents who manage groups of properties in a Region, and the ISCF has many members with businesses in Connemara, Kerry, along the Wild Atlantic Way, and other regions of Ireland.  Property owners and managers must declare all short-term income to Revenue each year and pay tax on the income.

Since 2011 Online Travel Agents (OTA’s) such as Booking.com, and Airbnb have entered the Irish market selling properties in Ireland for STR.  HomeAway is an OTA that entered the Irish Market in about 2014 and is still selling rental of houses but now operates under the VBRO Brand following its takeover by Expedia. There are also some properties on daft.ie and Myhome.ie which are property sales platforms in Ireland, but like the OTA’s they do not inspect, or guarantee information put up on-site by owners or others.

Why Book Direct with Irish Self-Catering members?

Members of the ISCF take direct bookings via LetsGoSelfCateirng.ie and may also have their own websites.  Some may rent via booking platforms. Members of ISCF sign-up to an ethos of membership and a Quality Assurance system with a number of properties undergoing a rigorous assessment each year. This is a visual inspection of properties ensuring the information provided by owners is

correct and meets national standards, as agreed with Failte Ireland.   This ensures a quality product is provided to consumers of all LetsGoSelfCatering.ie properties.

 

 

Can We Rent other than Houses?

The ISCF Members rent full units for the short term, some members will also rent Glamping units, and many have a variety of accommodation. All accommodation will meet the ISCF Quality Assurance Standard. You can also stay in a Bed and Breakfast, on a Boat on the Rivers, or Lakes, or in a hotel.

 

 

Can I bring Animals to stay?

Some members of the ISCF will allow a Dog to stay but request permission to avoid disappointment on arrival. There will be rules for dogs staying in a house, and the cost of making good any damage done to the property will have to be met by the visitor. In rural areas make sure to keep a dog on a lead, as they can worry sheep and cattle on nearby farms. Not many owners will allow a cat or other animals to stay in self-catering holiday homes.

How Have Rent Pressure Zones Affected Rental Market?

Regulations were brought in in 2019 to bring properties under the Rental Pressure Zones (RPZ) Regulations in urban areas of Ireland. This regulation was introduced to encourage properties back into the long-term rental market. Unfortunately, as the legislation relates to Electoral areas, houses in rural areas have also been affected, and many quality properties have been lost to the market, which is now very unbalanced. There is a lack of STR for families in Dublin, Galway, Cork, and other urban areas in Ireland. The ISCF would like this legislation removed and all members in the RPZ’s regions allowed to trade, be Registered, and be assessed under our Quality Assurance System and continue in business.

 

Arrival and Departure

In Ireland, vacation rental houses and apartments are mostly run by small family businesses that expect guests to arrive in the afternoon. Departure is normally in the morning, allowing the house to be prepared for the next group of holidaymakers. The main airport in Ireland is Dublin Airport, with connections to many EU countries and further afield. The regional airports of Cork, Kerry, Shannon, and Knock have EU and UK connections, many with Ryanair.

Ferry services into the island of Ireland arrive in Cork, Rosslare, and Dublin from the UK and Mainland Europe. Google will advise on how long it takes to travel from your entry point to the vacation rental but ask your host who can advise on travel time and if late arrival and departure can be accommodated.

 

Conclusion

The best value for Self-Catering in Ireland is by booking with owners directly via their own website or the LetsGoSelfCatering.ie website, cutting out the OTAs. Ask your hosts to recommend the best local restaurants and places to see for adventure and activities which can be pre-booked. Vacation homes are all over the country, with options from castles to lighthouses to cottages and glamping. Enjoy a safe relaxing family holiday, bring the car, bikes, football, and dog to all the family can holiday in a relaxed manner. There is still availability for the 2022 season with more available early and late in the tourism season.