- 1. Why is a Short Term Tourist Letting Register being introduced?
Fáilte Ireland is introducing a Short Term Tourist Letting Register for all short term tourist accommodation lets in Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland’s aim, as directed by the Government’s Housing for All policy, is to require any party offering accommodation on a short term basis to tourists (referred to as “Short Term Tourist Letting” or “STTL”) to be registered on a Register and hold a valid registration number issued by Fáilte Ireland.
This Register will be underpinned by forthcoming amendments to the Tourist Traffic Acts 1939 – 2016.
- 2. What are the requirements for Short Term Tourist Letting property owners?
Requirements for property owners are as follows:
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Ensure property is registered with Fáilte Ireland to receive a Short Term Tourist Letting registration number.
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Ensure that accurate owner and property information (including Eircode) is provided when registering any Short Term Tourist Letting property.
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Ensure that each property registered meets the relevant statutory obligations (self-declaration required for Short Term Tourist Letting registration).
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Provide a valid Short Term Tourist Letting registration number to a booking platform when submitting an advertisement.
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Display a valid Short Term Tourist Letting registration number when advertising their property.
- 3. How will I register?
The registration system will be online via a dedicated Fáilte Ireland registration portal. To register a property, property owners or third parties will be able to quickly sign up to the portal using their email address, input owner and property details (including Eircode), confirm they meet the relevant statutory obligations (by way of self-declaration) and pay a registration fee. They will instantly receive a unique registration number for each property registered.
- 4. Will I require an Eircode to register?
Yes, you will be required to enter the Eircode for the property/properties being registered. If you do not have an Eircode, customer support will be able to assist you after the launch of the online registration system.
- 5. When do I register?
When legislation is signed into law, Fáilte Ireland’s Short Term Tourist Letting Register for all short term tourist accommodation in Ireland will launch shortly thereafter.
From enactment of the legislation, property owners and booking platforms will be required to display a valid Short Term Tourist Letting registration number when advertising a property.
Property owners operating within the sector will be allowed a period of six months from the launch of the Short Term Tourist Letting Register to check if there are any statutory obligations related to their property that they need to consider or need clarification on. Property owners may of course start this process now, ahead of the register launching. Those who avail of the six month clarification period at the point of registration will receive a valid STTL registration number which will allow them to advertise their property from launch of the Register.
- 6. What will I need to do with my Short Term Tourist Letting registration number?
Property owners will be required to display a valid Fáilte Ireland Short Term Tourist Letting registration number on all booking platforms (including property websites) and advertisements.
- 7. Can I register a property on behalf of someone else?
A third party can complete the registration for a Short Term Tourist Letting property on behalf of a property owner, with their consent. The person completing the registration form must ensure the information they provide is true and correct. Please be aware when completing the online registration form itself, the section titled “Property Owner” will be the person named on the Short Term Tourist Letting Register, and it is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that their Short Term Tourist Letting property is registered.
- 8. Will I need to upload any documentation? Will I need proof of planning permission to register?
You will not be required to upload any documentation as you register. Any questions you may have on planning permission should be directed to your Local Authority (see Q16 and Q17 below for more information on planning permission requirements).
- 9. How long will it take to register a Short Term Tourist Letting property?
Property owners or third parties will be required to sign up using an email address that will be validated prior to creating a password, all of which will only take a minute or so. Once signed in, the registration portal becomes available to register your property/properties. The length of time this takes will depend on the number of properties being registered. If the person registering has all the information to hand e.g. Eircode, payment details etc., and are just entering the details for one property, the full process should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. Applications can be saved and completed at a later time, and multiple properties may be registered at the one time.
- 10. What will happen when I register my property?
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Once you register your property/properties you will receive confirmation of your Short Term Tourist Letting registration number, this will be valid for 12 months from the date of issue.
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You will need to ensure your Short Term Tourist Letting registration number is displayed on all booking platforms (including property websites) and advertisements.
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Your property will be displayed on the Short Term Tourist Letting Register which will be publicly available on the Fáilte Ireland website.
- 11. Will I be able to set up a group login on the online portal for multiple properties?
Yes, it will be possible to register multiple properties using one login/password on the Short Term Tourist Letting portal.
- 12. What will the fees be?
The registration fees will be announced shortly. Being aware of the challenges which households and businesses face, the fees will be kept to a minimum.
- 13. Who is a tourist?
A person who travels from their place of residence, to visit the State, spend their holiday in the State or to travel within the State.
- 14. What is an online platform?
An online platform is an internet-based/digital marketplace, where Short Term Tourist Lettings can be advertised.
- 15. How will the Short Term Tourist Letting Register work?
Any party offering accommodation for periods of up to and including 21 nights will need to be registered with Fáilte Ireland. Property owners or third parties can register via a quick and user-friendly online portal where they will:
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Input owner and property details (including Eircode).
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Confirm that they meet the relevant statutory obligations (by way of self-declaration).
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Pay the registration fee (this will be an annual register which will need to be renewed each year).
Upon successful registration they will instantly receive a registration number which they provide to all online platforms and websites that advertise or list their property.
Before advertising properties, booking platforms must check property details with the Fáilte Ireland Register and must only advertise properties with a valid Fáilte Ireland registration number.
The Fáilte Ireland Short Term Tourist Letting Register will be available in real time to the booking platforms. The Register’s technology is due to be brought through initial testing in February 2023. Fáilte Ireland will work with booking platforms on a technical solution to automate the verification of registration numbers to ensure that the process of submitting a listing for advertisement on a platform is quick and straight forward.
Local Authorities will also have access to the Fáilte Ireland Short Term Tourist Letting Register, where they can check properties in their areas and if any are found not to have requisite planning permission, they may submit details to Fáilte Ireland who will remove the property from the Register and advise booking platforms that the property should no longer be advertised.
All planning functions, including monitoring and enforcement of same, will remain the responsibility of the Local Authorities.
Properties registered on the Short Term Tourist Letting Register are not Quality Approved by Fáilte Ireland. Further information on becoming Quality Assured and approved by Fáilte Ireland under the National Quality Assurance Framework is available here
Fáilte Ireland Quality Assurance.