Council architect illegally letting flat for €380 a night

A Dublin City Council architect is illegally letting her one-bedroom Dublin apartment to tourists for up to €380 a night.

Though there are more than 1,700 properties available to tourists in Dublin on Airbnb, Daft.ie has just more than 500 homes to rent in the capital.

With research from the Times Irish edition finding that lucrative short-term Airbnb listings outnumber long-term options in all 26 southern counties, Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has told the Dáil, “The overwhelming majority of properties that are today listed, for example, on Airbnb are illegal. They do not have planning permission.”

The council architect, who lives in Mullingar, county Westmeath doesn’t have planning permission for the short-term letting of her Ranelagh, Dublin 6 apartment – a legal requirement since 2019.

The 50 square metre apartment is advertised on Booking.com to rent for €222 to €384 a night, with a minimum stay of three nights. A four-week stay in August costs €9,703.

She previously let it out on a longer term basis.

Residential Tenancies Board records confirm a long-term tenancy was registered at the south Dublin city property as late as this year.

In her role with the council the executive architect is responsible for designing, delivering and managing public construction projects. She is also responsible for planning and building compliance relating to council housing work.

Dublin City Council’s head has previously boasted of landlords’ fears of the council.

Last year chief executive Owen Keegan claimed landlords were “running scared” after the council issued over a 1,000 enforcement notices to owners illegally letting their properties to tourists on sites like Airbnb.

The council employee declined to comment.