A Register for Self-Catering in Ireland
Canoeing on an Irish Lake
The Register for Self-Catering and all short-term Rentals (STR) is due to be decided upon at EU level at the end of Q1 of 2022 as part of the collaborative economy. At the EU level and we anticipate legislation that is easy to implement in member states. The Irish Government has announced that a Register for STR is being put in place in Q4 of 2022, based on EU requirements and taking into consideration the needs of the Irish tourism industry. Failte Ireland has been appointed as the agency to manage the STR Register and €4 million has been allocated in 2021 to Failte Ireland to implement the Irish National Register within their 2021 funding
The ISCF has been committed for the last 8 years to a Register for Self-Catering and all STR. We should like to be consulted on the development of the legislation and the Register, as well as its enforcement. We ask that all members of the ISCF be automatically included in the register for the first 2 years. The EU held a consultative process on a responsible fair and trusted single market for Short-term rental services in October 2021. In June 2021 the commission published the first statistics on short-stay accommodation booked via the collaborative economy platform.
As part of the European Holiday Homes Association, the ISCF believe a more sustainable future can be provided for consumers with a deeper understanding, fairer rules, and cooperation. There has been a rapid growth in STR services are now the largest leisure accommodation form in the EU. We want a regulatory framework that is equal for all businesses across the EU.
Wish List for an Irish Self-Catering Register
Brockman Homes near St Vincents Hospital, Dublin – see on LetsGoSelfCatering.ie
The ISCF wishes the following points to be considered when developing a Register
1 Online
– so that an owner Register in one visit and receives a registration number straight after registration. The registration system should be for each individual owner to complete, not their OTA. Some members do not have great technical skills and may require a phone contact to assist them.
2 One-time only
– STR register once and retain this registration number once issued.
3 Proportionate
– Minimum of data gathered from members with clear details.
Image of a Donkey along the Copper Coast, Co. Waterford
4 Affordable
– registration should be low-cost or preferably free of charge to owners.
5 Consistent
– The EU Register will primary register with each Member State implementing its own register following the scheme of the European Commission. Each National Registration scheme is administered at the National level and the administration should have the responsibility to feed into the EU information. This would ensure that STR businesses in Ireland have to register once for inclusion in both the National and EU Registers.
6 Notified to EU Commission
– details of the National Registration scheme notified to the EU, confirming it the Irish National Register is acceptable within the legislation.
7 Compliant with EU law
– registration scheme to respect EU regulations and comply with EU law and CJEU practice.
8 Enforcement
– Discussion with the National organizations involved in the Register on proportionate and workable enforcement systems for those who do not comply with the Register. This would include the timeline for any such enforcement, the fit-for-purpose agency to deal with enforcement, and no extra cost to STR owners
Picnic with a view in Ireland
Rent Pressure Zones –
Rent Pressure Zones (RPZ) have been in place for 4 years in urban areas of Ireland, with the extent of each zone decided on by electoral area. This has caused the closure of Self-Catering businesses in Dublin, Cork, Galway city, and many urban areas. In October 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic period, the tourist towns of Kinsale and Killarney were added to the RPZ areas, so all Self-Catering would be illegal in these towns. Full details of areas affected on our recent RPZ Blog. The effect of the RPZ legislation is very short-sighted.
The effect of the RPZ legislation is very short-sighted as Self-Catering is a Tourism product and we would ask that we be fully managed by the Dept. Of Tourism, using the Register as a management system.
Relax on a Self-Catering holiday in Ireland
Urban areas of Ireland are no longer family-friendly or welcoming to multi-generational groups, who want a choice from the hotel accommodation. As a result, the economic effect on city tourism is now being seen. If a family wants to rent a self-catering unit to spend a few days in a city and all that it has to offer, attend a show, stay close to a hospital during treatment, or for many other reasons they have no Self-Catering option at present. Portugal brought in a Register for STR, giving a 3-month time allowance for exhibiting businesses to join the national federation, and become legitimate. The Portuguese Register has a 98% uptake on the registration system and a similar acceptance in Ireland would benefit the industry as well as show how much Self-Catering accommodation is available for consumers throughout the country.
Colorful village of Sneem, Kerry, Ireland.
Conclusion on Register for STR
The Irish Self-Catering Federations welcomes the Register which should remove the fragmentation of the Self-Catering and other sectors of the Short-Term Rental market for consumers. The overall removal of barriers is slow and more reform efforts are needed in order to achieve the overall objectives of the Service Directive to remove regulatory and administrative barriers faced by the service providers when operating in the Single EU MArket. Businesses in the STR market are nano, micro, or SME providers that make up the biggest part of the STR ecosystem, and we would like national and EU rules to be clear, easy to implement, and equal across the EU markets.
Please contact info@iscf.ie for any further information or details of membership of the Irish Self-Catering Federation in anticipation of a Register for Short-term Rental Accommodation in Ireland. All member’s properties can be listed on LetsGoSelfCatering.ie for direct booking with owners.
Self-Catering Holiday Homes, Ireland.