What is a short-term let in Ireland?
The difference between a holiday let, a short-term room and a tenancy, and what to check before you book or advertise.
Three different things people call a "short-term let"
A holiday let: a whole home or room let to tourists for nights or weeks, like on Airbnb.
A short-term room: a room for a few weeks or months, often for work placements, students between leases or people who have just arrived in Ireland.
A short fixed-term tenancy: a whole place, or a room in a house the owner doesn't live in, for a set period of months.
Which rules apply
A room in the owner's own home is usually a licence, not a tenancy, so tenancy law and RTB registration don't apply, however long you stay.
Where the owner doesn't live there and someone rents it as their home, it is usually a tenancy covered by the Residential Tenancies Acts, even if it's only for a few months.
Holiday letting has its own rules, which are changing in Ireland and across the EU. If you plan to let a whole home to tourists, check with your local council and Fáilte Ireland before you advertise.
If you're looking for a short-term room
Check the dates the room is free and the minimum stay, and agree the exact move-out date in writing.
Ask what's included: bills, broadband, bed linen, cleaning.
The same safety rule applies however short the stay: never pay before you've viewed the place in person or by a live video call with the person who has the keys.
If you're advertising one
Say clearly in your ad the dates, the minimum stay and what's included. On StayLister, short-term ads show their dates and minimum stay on every listing.
Common questions
Is a short-term room in the owner's home covered by tenancy law?
Usually not. A room in the owner's own home is usually a licence, so tenancy law and RTB registration don't apply, however long you stay.
Can a stay of a few months be a tenancy?
Yes. Where the owner doesn't live there and someone rents it as their home, it is usually a tenancy covered by the Residential Tenancies Acts, even if it's only for a few months.
What rules apply to letting a whole home to tourists?
Holiday letting has its own rules, which are changing in Ireland and across the EU. Check with your local council and Fáilte Ireland before you advertise.