‘It’s well-equipped and has incredible views of the island. I feel we can justify our prices’

The last bank holiday weekend of the summer has arrived, with holidaymakers flocking to villas by the beach and cottages in the countryside in the hope of sunny weather or even just a lack of rain.

Thousands of short-term letting (STL) hosts have already been turning over rooms and readying properties across the country.

But who are the hosts – on Airbnb, Booking.com and other major rental sites – that are opening up their accommodation for the weekend? How does pricing work? And what do they make of the mounting pressure on the sector from housing advocates?

The Irish Independent spoke with three hosts letting out property this weekend.

Deana Zosky, from Pennsylvania, rents out three renovated cottages in north-west Donegal on Airbnb and Vrbo.

Ms Zosky, who runs the Cobblestone Cottage brand with her business partner Rita Gallagher, began renting the cottages three months ago and has already seen great demand.

Their business consists of two one-bedroom cottages and one two-bedroom property.

To set their rental prices, Ms Zosky did a lot of research on “bespoke travel services”, with a target on higher-end markets such as the US.

The cottages cost between €850 and €1,350 to rent for three nights this weekend.

They booked to stay for a week to celebrate their wedding anniversary

“I didn’t want to go in too high, but I also needed to honour the value of what we put into the properties,” Ms Zosky said.

She said her properties give visitors a personalised experience, and that she and Ms Gallagher welcome requests.

“If you look at a regular Airbnb, it might be right beside mine in the same location, but it doesn’t have the extra touches that we offer.”

A standout booking for Ms Zosky so far was a couple from Los Angeles they recently hosted.

“They decided on a whim to get married in Ireland 35 years ago, and they booked to stay for a week to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

“They told me they wanted lobster and they wanted to go hiking and get involved in other activities.

“I then worked with local guides and local fishermen to create what they were looking for. It was so special to them.”

Like Ms Zosky and Ms Gallagher, Mandy Mahon (59) and Ronan Halpin (67), from Drogheda, only added their property on the western side of Achill to Airbnb in recent months.

The four-bedroom house is newly built and offers a “luxurious experience” for guests, Ms Mahon said.

A stay this weekend would have set you back €1,114, a price the couple are considering bringing down for the winter months.

Ms Mahon said: “It’s very well equipped. You could come and stay there and just not leave the property. And it has incredible views of the island. I feel we can justify our prices because of what we offer.”

The couple spent 16 months building the property before they signed up to the platform. The income they receive will go towards their pensions, with Ms Mahon and Mr Halpin planning to move into the house when they are older.

Máire Ní Mhurchú (60), from Co Sligo, is the CEO of the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF), a lobbying group that represents the interests of those providing self-catering services.

She is also the host of a short-term rental property in west Cork, in Dunmanus Bay along the Wild Atlantic Way.

At €160 a night, the popularity of Dunmanus Cottage – her award-winning three-bedroom rental accommodating up to six people – is not limited to summer.

“There is a high demand during the summer. But then, in the off-season, quite often we will have somebody who wants to come finish a book,” she said.

“We might have people who are putting windmills in the area. We have people doing roadworks. All those kinds of people come and stay as well.

“And there’s a wedding venue just near us called Blairscove House, so we have people from that all the time that they are open.”

Despite its convenience for holidaymakers, the STL sector has faced claims that it is exacerbating the housing crisis.
From politicians to homelessness activists, rising discontent has been directed towards individuals and online platforms engaged in STL in recent years.

We didn’t cause the crisis. It’s the Government’s responsibility to provide for social housing

Ms Ní Mhurchú has been an ardent defender of the sector amid growing criticism.

“We’re being scapegoated,” she said. “We didn’t cause the housing crisis. It’s the Government’s responsibility to provide for social housing. It’s not for private individuals.”

In a statement to the Irish Independent, the ISCF refuted discourse linking STL with housing shortages.

“This is a complex national issue driven by years of under-investment in housing, not by a sector that accounts for just 1.9pc of all short-term rental listings under our Quality Assurance framework,” it said.

Housing Minister James Browne announced plans in June to prohibit planning permission for

STL properties in towns of 10,000 people or less.

“That cuts out two little places: Ballina in Co Mayo and Tramore in Co Waterford,” Ms Ní Mhurchú said, referring to two areas that attract a lot of tourists.

She concedes that some regulation is necessary, particularly in high-density areas, but she regards proposed measures as disproportionate, given that similar laws apply to much larger cities on mainland Europe.

“You can’t compare Ballina and Barcelona,” she said.

As of mid-June, nearly 32,000 homes were being advertised as short-term lets in Ireland, according to short-term let database Inside Airbnb.

Meanwhile, only 1,857 properties are currently advertised for rent on Daftie.

An ESRI report published in April concluded that, while legal restrictions have achieved decreases in short-term rentals overseas, only strict legislation would work here.

“It’s a serious economic driver for the local community, for activity drivers, for the local market on a Friday morning,” Ms Ní Mhurchú said.

Ms Mahon struck a more conciliatory tone towards critics linking STLs with the housing crisis.

“I do agree that short-term lets knock availability out of the market, but I think our property and where it is doesn’t do that because it’s a new build and it has a purpose for us down the road,” she said.

I’m hiring local guides and fishermen for my guests. It’s a boost for the area

She agrees the local “holiday economy” reaps undeniable benefits.

Ms Zosky is hesitant to claim any responsibility for an availability crisis in long-term rentals.

I don’t feel like my little footprint for me is that big of an impact,” she said.

Instead, she declares her belief that she has done her bit to bring down the number of derelict dwellings in the country.

She joined her fellow hosts in emphasising the positive effect of her actions on the surrounding community. saying: “I’m hiring local guides and local fishermen for my guests, and they’re going to the pubs and stores. It’s a boost for the area.”