Lorna Call

So word is out that this legislation is going to close us down.

And the reality is it has closed down a number of Airbnbs or short-term lets.

A number of posts have already left the market.

their properties are not returning to the long-term market, but they've closed because they don't want to have to start getting into the whole issue of planning.

The problem is that we don't actually know.

We were due to sign up with the register today, any time between now and May 20th.

That is now not happening because the government have an Oireachtas subcommittee they've been meeting and they haven't presented their report.

The government also have to produce an NPS, a national planning statement, and then we have to register.

But we cannot register until the NPS is published because I would be ticking a box saying that I will comply.

But I've no idea what I will have to comply with.

So I have spent the last few months in total and utter limbo.

I didn't know if I would be closed on May 20th.

As it happens, I now found out that I'm in an area with a population of 20,000 or less.

So I will have up to two years in which to be able to comply.

But what is so ridiculous about this is I have a granny flat attached to my house.

If I were to welcome guests through my front door and say to them, off you go upstairs and you can have a nice en suite room and I'm home sharing with you.

I wouldn't have to comply with anything.

But because they're coming in my side door and they have their own kitchen, I could possibly have to get change of use planning permission.

And I would be really, really concerned about that because there could be issues around my septic tank size.

I've been told anecdotally that to get new percolation or septic tanks could cost anything up to 10,000.