Ireland short-term rental regulation and SDEP status

What this means

Ireland is creating a short-term letting register managed by Failte Ireland.

Hosts offering short-term accommodation for up to 21 nights must register each unit and receive a unique registration number. Official guidance says the register opens on 1 December 2026 and hosts must register by 31 December 2026; a 19 June 2026 department update reaffirms full implementation by 31 December 2026.

Implementation status

A 13 May 2026 government press release confirms the December 2026 timing and says Failte Ireland will implement and manage the national register.

Fáilte Ireland's STLR page says it will introduce the new register after the necessary legislation passes and notes that page information is based on the current draft legislation and subject to change.

A 19 June 2026 department update says Cabinet approved the National Planning Statement on short-term letting and reaffirms full implementation by 31 December 2026; the Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill was then published on 6 October 2026, was initiated in Dáil Éireann as the Short-Term Lettings and Tourism Bill 2026 on 23 October 2026, and has completed first stage.

Platforms must display registration numbers, verify listing accuracy, conduct random checks, remove listings when ordered, and share rental data through the SDEP.

The Bill provides for fixed payment notices, summary offences and an administrative sanctions panel, with financial sanctions for serious platform breaches of up to 2 per cent of annual worldwide turnover; it also establishes a separate register for limited stays in student-specific accommodation.

Host registration information includes personal/company details, unit address including Eircode, unit type, principal-primary-residence/secondary-residence status, bed places, and total guest capacity.

Technical interface

Failte Ireland will manage Ireland's SDEP.

Guidance mentions standardised data such as nights rented, guest counts, listing URL, and registration number, typically shared monthly.

The General Scheme refers to an online interface to facilitate platform checks and the appointment by Failte Ireland of a National Coordinator of the SDEP.

No public OpenAPI docs, source code, sandbox, or machine-to-machine onboarding documentation is currently available. Micro/small platforms may use simplified or manual data-sharing methods rather than full machine-to-machine integration.

Implementation timeline

The national short-term letting register is scheduled to open on 1 December 2026.

Operators have a legal obligation to register by 31 December 2026.

The Planning and Development (Short Term Letting) (Change of Use) Regulations 2026, SI 500/2026, came into operation on 29 September 2026, providing a simplified administrative retention/change-of-use process for short-term lets.

The Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill was published on 6 October 2026, designating Fáilte Ireland as the competent authority for the register and the SDEP; as the Short-Term Lettings and Tourism Bill 2026 (Bill No. 101 of 2026) it completed Dáil first stage on 23 October 2026, with the remaining Dáil and Seanad stages still ahead.

The National Planning Statement introduces planning-compliance pathways, including differentiated treatment for areas above or below 20,000 population and for operators with more than seven years' established use.

Registration workflow

Registration applies nationwide to hosts offering NACE 55.20 accommodation for periods up to 21 nights; official guidance excludes hostels from this scope.

Each short-term letting unit receives a unique registration number.

Registration is expected to be online through the Fáilte Ireland registration portal and renewed annually; Fáilte Ireland's current public STLR page says registration is not yet open and will begin after the necessary legislation passes.

A host must normally complete registration themself, including legal declarations about planning, building, and fire-safety compliance; an agent can only register where the unit is being registered for a company.

Host registration information includes identity/company details, Eircode-based host and unit addresses, unit type, residence status, bed places, and total guest capacity.

Official guidance says a nominal annual registration fee will apply, with the fee structure to follow, and estimates the unit registration process at about five minutes.

Platform obligations

From 31 December 2026, platforms must display registration numbers and facilitate host entry of those numbers.

From 31 December 2026, platforms must take reasonable steps to verify accuracy and completeness, carry out random checks, and remove or disable listings when ordered.

Platforms must transmit standardised data through Ireland’s SDEP, typically monthly.

Micro and small platforms may use simplified or manual data-sharing methods.

Technical interfaces

Failte Ireland is the identified SDEP manager.

The General Scheme refers to an online interface for platform checks, but no public OpenAPI or onboarding package is available yet.

Open questions

Whether the December 2026 national timing changes platform obligations that were previously framed around 20 May 2026.

When Failte Ireland will publish SDEP technical documentation, sandbox details, authentication, and platform onboarding material.

How planning-compliance declarations, local authority processes, and delisting/enforcement orders will connect operationally to the register and platform checks.