Short-term letting register: what room hosts need to know before 31 December 2026
Letting a room or home for 21 nights or fewer? The new Fáilte Ireland register, the planned dates, who it covers, the number on your ad, and what hasn't been decided yet.
- Short-term rooms
- What is a short-term let?
- Rent-a-Room Relief
- Department of Enterprise – Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill published, 6 Oct 2026
- Fáilte Ireland – Short Term Letting Register
- Citizens Information – renting your property for short-term lets
- Revenue – Rent-a-Room Relief qualifying conditions
Where things stand (October 2026)
The Government published the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill on 6 October 2026. It is still going through the Oireachtas, so it isn't law yet and details can change.
The Government has said the register will open on 1 December 2026, and Citizens Information says hosts will have to register by 31 December 2026. Fáilte Ireland's own page says registration isn't open yet. Check failteireland.ie before you let short-term.
Who has to register
Anyone offering paid accommodation for 21 nights or fewer through an online platform must register each "unit". A unit can be a whole home or a room or rooms in your own home, so home-sharing is covered.
Hotels, guesthouses, hostels, campsites and caravan parks are excluded: they have their own registration.
Lets that are always longer than 21 nights, like a room for the college year or long-term digs, aren't short-term lets under these rules.
Your number on your ad
Hosts will have to show the registration number on every ad. Websites will have to show it, check numbers at random, and remove ads that don't comply.
On StayLister, every stay is 22 nights or more (since 19 October 2026): short-term ads are for a few weeks to a few months, so they are outside these rules and the number isn't needed.
Fees, fines and planning
Fáilte Ireland says the registration fee will be announced. The Bill includes fixed-payment notices and offences for hosts, and large fines for websites.
Registering doesn't replace planning rules: you'll be asked to declare that you comply with them. Renting a room in the home you live in has been treated differently from letting a whole home under the planning rules for short-term lets, so check with your council if you're letting a whole home.
Tax
Short lets don't qualify for Rent-a-Room Relief: since 2019 it doesn't cover letting periods of 28 consecutive days or less (with exceptions, including students and Monday-to-Thursday digs). The income is taxed as rental income.
Common questions
When do I have to register my short-term let?
The Government says the register opens on 1 December 2026, and hosts are expected to register by 31 December 2026. The law is still a Bill, so check failteireland.ie for the final dates.
Do I need to register a room in my own home?
Yes, if you let it for 21 nights or fewer through a website: rooms in your own home are covered. Longer lets aren't.
Does the register apply to digs or a room for the college year?
No, not if every stay is longer than 21 nights.