Apartment landlord disputes council's decision to deny permission for short-term rentals on his 10 properties close to Dublin Castle.
Dublin City Council Refuses Planning Retention for Short-Term Rental Apartments
In a recent development, Olympia Real Estate Ltd has lodged an appeal with An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) against Dublin City Council's refusal to allow the use of 10 apartments near Dublin Castle for short-term letting. The apartments, located on Dame Street and Parliament Street, are currently available for rental on platforms including AirBnb and Booking.com.
The decision by Dublin City Council to refuse the planning retention is based on the general presumption in the City Development Plan against the provision of dedicated short-term tourist rental accommodation in the city. This is due to the impact on the availability of residential housing stock. However, an exception to this general presumption is where environmental conditions and noise conditions in particular are not conducive to a reasonable standard of living for permanent occupancy.
Eamonn Prenter, director at Cunnane Stratton Reynolds, who prepared the appeal on behalf of Olympia Real Estate Ltd, asserts that the premises are unsuitable for permanent residential occupation and are more suitable for short-term lets due to their location and noise environment. The appeal states that further noise assessments have been conducted for additional units within the appeal premises, demonstrating that all units would fail to meet the noise standards in place nationally.
Mr. Prenter also claims that while there is a general policy presumption against short-term lets, there is no absolute prohibition in policy terms. He states that Olympia Real Estate Ltd is willing to accept a planning condition limiting the use of the premises specifically to tourism.
The price difference between renting the same apartment on different platforms suggests a competitive market for short-term rentals in Dublin. For instance, the price for one of the apartments on Booking.com for Thursday, September 11th is €255, while the price on Airbnb for an apartment on Friday, September 19th is €474.
If the appeal is successful, it could set a precedent for other short-term rental property owners in Dublin. The outcome of the appeal could have implications for the short-term rental market in Dublin and potentially other cities in Ireland. The provision of tourism infrastructure is supported in Dublin City Council's Development Plan 2022 to 2028.
The planning consultants handling the appeal against the refusal of the planning permission for the 10 apartments are not specified in the available information. If Olympia Real Estate Ltd is unable to overturn the council's refusal, the property owners face reduced rental revenues as the apartments would be available for long-term letting only. The refusal of planning permission for short-term letting could potentially impact the rental market in the area.
As the appeal process unfolds, it remains to be seen how it will affect the short-term rental market in Dublin and beyond. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
