Donegal Airbnb owners need to be 'compliant with revenue' themselves

A Donegal County Council executive member told Cllr Niamh Kennedy that concerned Airbnb owners had to be “compliant with revenue” themselves.

Cllr Kennedy spoke at September’s Donegal Municipal District meeting, expressing the concerns of property owners who rent out their homes on Airbnb for part of the year. 

She said: “The value that they are to the local economy is huge, and I know people can slate them, but the Airbnb owners are paying their taxes and rates, but the only thing they want is, if they are not, then they want to know what they are paying.

“They want to make sure that they are above board. If Failte Ireland were to have clinics in each Municipal District, then they were to inform people, and it would be very important because people are very afraid and are being branded that they are preventing housing, which is not the case.

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“They do want to be compliant and they hope they are. These people are being accused of not renting out their houses to people for family homes but these are their family home, and they don’t want it to be a long-term let.”

In response, Director of Economic Development, Emergency Services and Information Systems commented: “The monetary returns is probably five to ten times from renting. Rules is in any business, you are obliged to meet any rules within that business, whether that is being compliant with revenue, that is for them to do themselves. 

“I don’t know if it is a workshop area because we are not experts in that field. 

“People are entitled to run any business they want, providing it is within the law. 

“It is maybe a national level, that they may want to take a look at.”