A Killarney councillor says legislation around short-term letting isn’t going to make a huge impact.
Independent councillor Brendan Cronin was speaking after Kerry County Council issued warning letters in relation to homeowners using properties for short-term letting. The council previously said where a person owns a property which is not their principal private residence and intends to use it for short-term letting purposes, they are required to apply for a change of use planning permission.
A Radio Kerry investigation in September showed short-term accommodations in the county outnumbered long-term properties by rates of over 20-to-1 in places. In the past few months, the council issued nearly 200 warning letters to some homeowners who have properties for short-term let.
Independent councillor Brendan Cronin is against the move, saying it targets families which accrue an additional, vital income from providing a single property for short-term let.
He says of the 190 warning letters sent, over half of the cases have been closed, which he believes shows that the move isn’t having a large impact. Councillor Cronin says there are many vacant properties in the county which should be tackled first.
