Ireland's short-term letting register: what hosts need to know

Where things stand

The register comes from two sources. An EU regulation on short-term rentals, adopted in April 2024, has applied since 20 May 2026 and requires registration schemes and data sharing by platforms. In Ireland, the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill that sets up the national register was published on 6 October 2026 and now has to pass through the Oireachtas.

So, on 18 October 2026:

• the Government’s timetable is that “the register will open on 1 December and all hosts must register by 31 December 2026”;
• Fáilte Ireland says the register “will open once the necessary legislation has been passed”;
• several details, including the fee, are not settled yet.

This guide sets out what the official sources say today. We will update it when the Bill becomes law.

Who will have to register

Hosts who offer paid accommodation for 21 nights or less will have to register each unit, whether guests book through a platform or directly: a whole property, or rooms in the home they live in. It applies everywhere in Ireland, not only in cities.

Hotels, resort and apartment hotels, hostels, and camping, caravan and motorhome parks are excluded.

B&Bs: the Department of Enterprise uses the standard business classification. A B&B without housekeeping services is in scope; a B&B with daily cleaning, classed with hotels, is out of scope. If you are unsure which applies to you, ask Fáilte Ireland.

Not yet clear from the official pages: whether guesthouses (the Bill keeps a separate guesthouse register) and self-catering homes already registered with Fáilte Ireland will need to register again.

What you will need

Fáilte Ireland’s FAQs list your details as host, the type and use of the unit, the maximum number of guests and bed places, a legal declaration and a payment; they say fees “will be announced shortly”. The Department describes the fee as “nominal” and annual, and says registration will be renewed every year.

Your registration number in every advertisement

Once registered, you receive a number for each unit. The Government’s announcement says it must be displayed “on all advertisements and listings”. Online platforms will have to show it, check numbers at random, and remove listings when Fáilte Ireland asks.

The official pages do not say in so many words whether this includes your own website. The safe course is to show the number there too, next to your address or in the footer, as you would on Booking.com or Airbnb.

Planning permission

Planning rules are changing too. Separate what is in force from what the Bill proposes.

In force now

• Since April 2026 (S.I. 130 of 2026), the exemption for letting rooms in your own home applies across the country, not only in Rent Pressure Zones. It covers up to four bedrooms in your principal private residence, with conditions.
• The Department of Enterprise says letting your whole home while you are away is allowed for up to 90 days in total; beyond that you need permission.
• The Department also says new planning regulations (S.I. 500 of 2026) came into operation on 29 September 2026. Check the current text on the Irish Statute Book or with your council.

Proposed, according to the Department

• In towns of more than 20,000 people, hosts would have to show planning compliance when they register; smaller towns would get two years.
• A property let short-term for seven years or more without enforcement action would be presumed to have permission.

Planning is a local matter: if you let a second property, or more than a few rooms, check with your county council.

Penalties

The Bill provides for fixed payment notices and offences for hosts, and fines of up to 2% of worldwide turnover for platforms. The announcement does not give amounts for hosts.

What to do now

1. Work out which of your rooms or properties are let for 21 nights or less, on a platform or directly.
2. Gather the details Fáilte Ireland will ask for: maximum guests, bed places, and your planning position for each unit.
3. Watch Fáilte Ireland’s register page for the opening date.
4. Plan where your registration number will go: your platform listings, your website and any printed material.

Need a website that shows your number, your prices and a booking button on every page? See our B&B website checklist.