Registering a Short-Term Let in Ireland: What You Need to Know
Ireland is introducing a national Short-Term Letting (STL) Register, run by Fáilte Ireland. It launches on 1 December 2026, and there is a legal obligation for all operators to be registered by 31 December 2026. The register is provided for under the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025, which is not yet enacted, so the detail below is based on the current draft of the legislation and is subject to change.
This guide walks through the registration process step by step. It separates what is confirmed from what is still being finalised, so you can prepare now and act the moment the register opens. For the bigger picture, see our short-term let register guide and the register deadline explainer.
How to Register a Short-Term Let: Step by Step
The following steps are based on the current draft of the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025 and the data requirements of the EU short-term rental regulation. The exact Fáilte Ireland process will be confirmed when the register launches on 1 December 2026.
- Confirm whether registration applies to you. The register covers anyone offering paid accommodation for up to and including 21 nights, which is the register's published definition of a short-term let. Each unit you let is registered separately. If you offer short stays at this length for payment, plan to register every unit.
- Check your planning position first. Registration is separate from planning. A non-principal-residence or entire second home let short-term generally needs change-of-use permission (in force since 1 July 2019). A principal private residence in a Rent Pressure Zone let no more than 90 days a year is planning-exempt under S.I. 235/2019. Keep the 21-night register test separate from the 90-day planning rule.
- Gather your details. Expect to provide your identity, the unit address, the property type and the bed capacity. These are the data fields the EU short-term rental regulation requires. Have your eircode and BER to hand. The exact Fáilte Ireland field list will be confirmed when the register opens, so treat this as a preparation step.
- Make the statutory-obligations declaration. Registration requires a legal declaration that you meet your relevant statutory obligations, including planning and fire safety. This is a declaration with legal weight, so make sure those obligations are actually in order before you declare. If your planning position is unresolved, fix it before you register.
- Register each unit and obtain your registration number. Register each unit on the Fáilte Ireland Short-Term Letting (STL) Register when it opens on 1 December 2026 and obtain your unique Short-Term Letting registration number. Fáilte Ireland has not yet published a registration fee or the exact online process, so check the official register page for confirmed detail at launch.
- Display the registration number on every listing. Show your registration number on every listing and advertisement. Under EU Regulation 2024/1028, platforms must display the number and can be ordered by the competent authority to remove or disable listings that lack a valid number, so a missing number puts your bookings at risk of delisting.
- Keep dated records and stay registered. All operators must be registered by 31 December 2026. Keep dated turnover and occupancy records, both for the EU data rules and as evidence of compliance. The renewal period for the register has not yet been published, so set a reminder to check the official guidance as the launch approaches.
What Is Confirmed, and What Is Still Being Finalised
To register with confidence, it helps to know which parts of the scheme are settled and which are not.
Confirmed
- The register is the Short-Term Letting (STL) Register, run by Fáilte Ireland, launching 1 December 2026, mandatory by 31 December 2026.
- It covers paid accommodation for up to and including 21 nights, and each unit registers separately.
- Each unit receives a unique Short-Term Letting registration number that must be shown on all listings and advertisements.
- Registration requires a legal declaration that you meet your relevant statutory obligations.
- Under Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, platforms must display the number and can be ordered to delist units without a valid one.
Not yet published (do not assume)
- Registration fee. Fáilte Ireland has not yet published a registration fee. We will update this guide once it is confirmed.
- Registration number format. The format of the registration number has not been published; do not assume a particular pattern.
- Renewal period. The renewal period has not been published.
- Penalties for non-registration. Penalty amounts will be set by the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025, which is not yet enacted; specific fines have not been published.
- Register exemptions. The fine detail of register exemptions, including the treatment of single rooms versus entire homes, is being finalised in the Bill.
Why Planning Comes Before Registration
Because registration involves declaring that you meet your statutory obligations, your planning position needs to be settled first. The two questions are different and should not be conflated:
- The 21-night test is the register's definition of a short-term let.
- The 90-day rule in S.I. 235/2019 is a planning exemption that applies only to a principal private residence in a Rent Pressure Zone.
If you let an entire second property short-term, you generally need change-of-use planning permission regardless of nights let. The Government's National Planning Statement, set out at Cabinet on 16 June 2026 by the Minister for Housing, James Browne (as described by the Minister in the Dáil), also restricts new short-term-let permissions in towns and cities with a population over 20,000. Read our Airbnb planning permission and RPZ guide before you declare compliance.
Get Your Documentation Register-Ready Now
The single best preparation you can do before 1 December 2026 is to put your evidence in order: dated turnover records, a clear planning position, and a documented standard for each unit. A managed changeover programme keeps a dated, photo-evidenced turnover record for each unit — register-ready if Fáilte Ireland, a planning officer, or your insurer asks. See our short-term let cleaning programme and co-host and management support.
Frequently Asked Questions About Registering a Short-Term Let
How do I register my short-term let in Ireland?
You register each unit on Fáilte Ireland's Short-Term Letting (STL) Register, which launches on 1 December 2026. You confirm whether registration applies (paid accommodation up to and including 21 nights), make a legal declaration that you meet your statutory obligations, and obtain a unique registration number to display on every listing. The exact online process will be confirmed at launch.
When can I register?
The Short-Term Letting (STL) Register launches on 1 December 2026, and there is a legal obligation for all operators to be registered by 31 December 2026. The register is run by Fáilte Ireland under the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025, which is not yet enacted, so the detail is based on the current draft and is subject to change.
Do I need planning permission before I register?
Registration requires a legal declaration that you meet your statutory obligations, which include planning. A non-principal-residence or entire second home let short-term generally needs change-of-use permission. A principal private residence in a Rent Pressure Zone let no more than 90 days a year is planning-exempt under S.I. 235/2019. Resolve your planning position before you declare compliance.
How much does registration cost?
Fáilte Ireland has not yet published a registration fee. We will update this guide once the fee is confirmed. Do not rely on any figure quoted elsewhere until it appears on the official Fáilte Ireland register page, because the scheme is still based on the current draft of the legislation.
What happens if I do not register?
Penalty amounts will be set by the Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill 2025, which is not yet enacted, so specific fines have not been published. Separately, under EU Regulation 2024/1028 the competent authority can order platforms to remove or disable listings that lack a valid registration number, so an unregistered unit risks being delisted.