Can I let my home on Airbnb in Ireland?
Yes — but a new registration system and planning rules apply. A national Short-Term Letting Register, run by Fáilte Ireland under the Short-Term Tourist Letting Act 2024, is being introduced in 2026 for lettings of up to 21 nights at a time. Registration is required from 20 May 2026, the online register opens around 1 December 2026, and you must be registered by 31 December 2026 if the rules apply. On registering you get a unique number that must appear on every listing (Airbnb, Booking.com), and platforms can be required to remove listings without one. Separately, in a Rent Pressure Zone, planning permission is generally needed to short-let a property — and if you let your entire principal home over 90 days in a year, you must notify the council. The income is taxable. In short: yes, but register and check planning.
📋 The rules
- New Short-Term Letting Register (Fáilte Ireland) in 2026
- Register from 20 May 2026; deadline 31 Dec 2026
- Show your registration number on every listing
- In an RPZ, short-letting generally needs planning permission
- Letting your whole home over 90 days: notify the council
🔓 Exceptions
- Homesharing a room while you live there is treated more leniently
- Letting your whole home up to 90 days a year is allowed without planning
- Long-term lets over 14/21 nights fall under RTB rules, not the register
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The Short-Term Tourist Letting Act 2024 creates criminal offences for letting without registering, or advertising without a valid registration number, carrying substantial fines, and EU rules allow the takedown of non-compliant platform listings. Indicative 2026 fees are roughly €40 for a room in your principal home, €65 for your whole principal home under the 90-day cap, and around €105 for a self-catering unit. Short-term-letting income is taxable and must be declared to Revenue. Beware a myth: "rent-a-room relief (up to €14,000 tax-free) covers Airbnb guests" is false — Revenue specifically excludes short-term guest accommodation from rent-a-room relief, so that income is taxable. To let legally: register with Fáilte Ireland, display the number, check planning if in an RPZ, and declare the income.
📎 Official sources
- Citizens Information — renting your property for short-term lets →
- Fáilte Ireland — Short-Term Letting Register →
- Department of Enterprise — short-term letting →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I rent my home on Airbnb in Ireland?
Yes, but you must comply with new rules. From 2026, a national Short-Term Letting Register run by Fáilte Ireland requires you to register short lettings and display a unique registration number on every listing. Separately, in a Rent Pressure Zone you may also need planning permission, depending on how much you let the property.
When do I have to register?
Under the Short-Term Tourist Letting Act 2024, registration is required from 20 May 2026, the online register opens around 1 December 2026, and you must be registered by 31 December 2026 if the rules apply to you. Once registered, you get a number that must appear on all your adverts and listings.
Do I need planning permission?
Possibly. In a Rent Pressure Zone, short-letting a property generally needs planning permission. However, homesharing a room in your own home while you live there, or letting your whole principal residence for up to 90 days a year while temporarily away, is allowed without planning permission, even in a Rent Pressure Zone.
Is Airbnb income tax-free under rent-a-room relief?
No. Revenue specifically excludes short-term guest accommodation, such as Airbnb-style lettings, from rent-a-room relief, even though that relief allows up to €14,000 of rental income tax-free for longer-term lodgers. Short-term letting income is taxable and must be declared to Revenue in the normal way.
What happens if I don't register?
Letting without registering, or advertising without a valid registration number, are criminal offences under the Short-Term Tourist Letting Act 2024, carrying substantial fines. Platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com can also be required to remove listings that don't display a valid registration number, effectively preventing unregistered hosts from advertising.
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