Share 0 SHARES

THE Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has announced a new set of laws targeting people who rent out properties for short term lets, like those available on Airbnb, meaning landlords have until June 2019 when the law comes into effect to identify the loopholes and just carry on doing what they’re doing.

“This is comprehensive legislation which will single-handedly solve the housing crisis once it’s introduced,” a Department of Housing official said, unaware landlords who exploit Airbnb to earn massive sums are already hard at work identifying all the ways they can avoid the new regulations.

“Jesus, for a minute there, I thought I was fucked,” remarked one landlord who has 8 apartments up on the online property letting service, “just a quick glance tells me I can bullshit my way out of these new laws no problem. ‘Apply for planning permission’ ah yeah, thank God we’ve a government that’s all about the good PR and not about substance at all”.

The race is on for other landlords to carefully study the laws and weasel their way out of it.

“Ah yeah, I have the solicitor on it already, he has 7 months to find the small print I can exploit. I’ll be grand,” said another landlord who has slept soundly for a number of decades knowing the law will never apply to him.

Elsewhere there has been a sigh of relief emitted by landlords who don’t use Airbnb and similar services.

“I’ve 16 Brazilian students sharing 2 bunk beds in a room with no windows, and for a second there I thought I might be in a spot of bother but it’s a long term let,” explained one Dublin landlord, who is not even sure he’s going to pay tax this year since he’s not arsed.