Airbnb launches Community Tourism and Housing Protection Plan in the Republic of Ireland

2 min reading time

Published on 01/07/22 - Updated on 01/07/22

L'Irlande

The American company is working with the Irish government to support responsible housing in the country. The plan is built on five pillars designed to unlock the benefits of hosting on the platform for Irish families.

Airbnb commits to helping Ireland enforce short-term rentals rules and regulations better to protect housing in the country, which is suffering a shortage, and to benefit everyday hosts. The majority of hosts on the platform in the country are families who share their primary home with guests by letting a room or space for three nights a month on average.

The five pillars:

Enforcing short-term rental rules
The introduction of a single host register in order to establish a system for hosts to follow and a means for the government to enforce the rules and act against property speculators that are damaging communities. Only hosts with a registration number would be able to post listings on the platform.

Solving tourism supply constraints with community-led tourism
A flexible community tourism approach will be followed to boost the lodging supply at peak times of tourist activity by enticing families to host guests in their homes. It is designed to address accommodation shortages in the country without necessitating large state expenditure on building and infrastructure projects.

New tools to tackle noise and nuisance
In addition to the Neighbour Support Line that enables residents to report incidents, the company will introduce tools to tackle anti-social behaviour in rented properties. These tools help block or redirect reservations in order to enforce Airbnb’s party ban policy for example.

Partnering with the tourism sector and government to diversify tourism
The ‘Live and Work Anywhere Initiative’ invites people to discover new locations while working remotely. This pillar is designed to revive tourism and boost economic growth for local communities.

Supporting domestic violence survivors and refugees fleeing Ukraine
The ‘Survivor Fund’ created with Safe Ireland provides grants to women and children escaping abuse. Following the conflict in Ukraine, Airbnb announced it would provide free, short-term accommodation for refugees. A $500,000 grant has also been provided to house Ukrainians in Ireland.

The company has worked on similar projects with other European governments recently, notably in France, Greece and the Netherlands.

Airbnb was born during a financial crisis to help families afford their homes and make ends meet. As Irish families battle rising living costs and a housing shortage, we want to work with the government to unlock new economic opportunities, help enforce the rules and play our part in protecting housing.

Amanda Cupples, General Manager for Northern Europe at Airbnb

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