- The Draft National Planning Statement for STR was issued on 16 June 2026 and is at EU level
- Self-catering is the 2nd largest provider of tourism beds, with 40pc in rural Ireland
- The Housing Agency identified 28,903 short-term lets with 32pc in Dublin
- Businesses in areas above 20,000 population need planning compliance by December 2026
- The ISCF has called for a Register for STR since 2017 and seeks industry dialogue
The Irish Self Catering Federation has called for updates to the timeline that gives tourist lets in ireland a 31-day window to get planning to keep their businesses open, saying the current draft legislation is flawed and unworkable.
The Irish Government has introduced a gold plated register for STR by adding a planning requirement for existing as well as new Self-Catering businesses. The Dept of Enterprise Tourism and Employment states that the Register for STR Bill will be in place by December 1st 2026 and all self-catering properties throughout the country will be registered by 31 December. The Draft National Planning Statement for STR was issued on 16 June 2026 and is presently with the IMI at EU level undergoing Strategic Environmental Assessment process and the EU Services Directive notification process.
The draft proposals restrict STR to towns below a population of 20,000 based on the last census and town boundaries as defined by the CSO. For self-catering businesses in these areas there will be a 2 year allowance to get planning permission. For towns with a population over 20,000 in the last census, they need to be planning compliant before the Register is introduced on December 1st. If a business has been 7 years or more in continuous short-term rental then no enforcement action will be taken and planning will be granted, according to Minister for Housing statement.
The ISCF has called for a Register for STR since 2017 and is calling for meaningful dialogue with the industry, ITIC and tourism partners. Data from Failte Ireland in July 2026 stated that self-catering is the 2nd largest provider of tourism beds, and 40pc of places where visitors sleep, mostly in rural Ireland. The Housing Agency stated in June that based on data scraping there are 28,903 short-term lets with 32pc (9,186) in Dublin. The ISCF maintains that the self-catering sector in Ireland did not cause the housing crisis and many properties built as tourism lets are already housing people long term in every rural coastal village and town.
Máire Ní Mhurchú shared “The Register for STR and the associated planning legislation is flawed and unworkable for SME businesses in Ireland, and we need a Register for STR and TAL for SME businesses. The self-catering sector in Ireland did not cause the housing crisis and many properties built as tourism lets are already housing people long term in every rural coastal village and town.”
