Dublin City Council is yet to grant planning permission to allow property owners to use a non-principal private residence for short-term letting since new regulations were introduced last July.

New figures published by the council showed only 16 providers of Airbnb-style accommodation have applied to the local authority for planning permission to use their property for short-term letting since the changes were introduced as a measure to address the housing crisis in the city.

The council said eight applicants had been refused planning permission, while three were withdrawn and another two declared invalid.

A decision is pending on the other three applications.

As part of the crackdown on the unauthorised use of residential units as tourist accommodation, the council said it had opened investigations on 395 properties, with 87 cases resolved to date.

Warning letters and enforcement notices have been issued to many property owners, while one prosecution has been initiated.

Since July 1 last year, the regulations apply to any property within a rent pressure zone that is not the principal private residence of the owner.

They require any such property to obtain planning permission for it to be used as short-term tourist accommodation.

Anyone found offering short-term letting of such properties without authorisation is liable for a maximum fine of €5,000 and/or six months imprisonment if convicted in the District Court.

Any person who continued to offer such accommodation after conviction faces a daily fine of €1,500.

An Airbnb spokesperson said the company was busy promoting the new regulations to hosts and was continuing to talk with all levels of government on how awareness and compliance with the rules could be boosted.

The spokesperson said Airbnb's co-founder, Nathan Blecharczyk, had written to Dublin City Council in December, as well as leaders of other European cities, to express his support for ongoing collaboration.

"Cities can, should and do have their own clear and modern rules for home-sharing and we have worked with governments across the globe on measures to help hosts share their homes, follow the rules and pay their fair share of tax," said Mr Blecharczyk.

Irish Independent