Does Ireland’s short-term letting register cover my self-catering units or aparthotel?
A cottage beside a hotel and an apartment inside an aparthotel can look similar online but need different short-term letting (STL) registration checks. Use this guide to separate accommodation classification, preparation and the announced Irish rollout.
Standalone self-catering cottages and apartments may fall within scope; qualifying hotels and apartment hotels are excluded from the unit definition. Classify what you operate, not just its listing name. On 13 November 2026, Fáilte Ireland says registration is not open. Prepare potentially covered units, but distinguish the announced December timetable from an obligation already in operation.
What is confirmed, and what is still planned?
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment announces an opening on 1 December 2026 and registration by 31 December 2026. Fáilte Ireland’s operational page still makes opening conditional on the necessary legislation passing. These statements describe a future rollout, not an open registration service today.
The published Bill as initiated provides for commencement by ministerial order. Publication of that draft does not establish enactment or commencement. Before treating the deadline as legally operative, check the final Act, relevant commencement order and Fáilte Ireland’s opening notice.
The EU regulation on short-term rental data establishes the wider framework. Its accommodation exclusions and Ireland’s implementation timetable answer different questions: being within scope does not mean the Irish portal is already available.
Decision tree: cottage, apartment or hotel?
Start with each separately offered accommodation type. The branches below are a screening method based on published guidance, not a determination of your property’s legal classification.
Is it hotel-type accommodation?
If yes, follow the excluded branch. If no, continue to step 2. If uncertain, request clarification about the hotel or apartment hotel category.
Is it a separate short-stay unit?
If it is a furnished cottage or standalone apartment offered for paid stays of 21 nights or fewer, follow the potentially covered branch.
What do you do next?
Potentially covered: prepare a unit record and monitor opening. Excluded: retain classification evidence. Mixed or unclear: obtain a property-specific answer.
The department distinguishes NACE 55.20 holiday and short-stay accommodation from NACE 55.10 hotels and similar accommodation. NACE is the EU classification of economic activities. Daily cleaning, bed-making and on-site customer service matter in its explanation; a kitchenette or an “aparthotel” marketing label alone is not a reliable test.
| Accommodation | Definition and scope | Registration preparation | Current legal status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone cottage | Assume a furnished holiday home offered for seven-night stays: potentially covered. | Create a separate unit record; identify its host and listings. | Prepare for the announced rollout; registration is not open. |
| Separate apartment | Assume an independently let apartment without hotel services: potentially covered. | Record its exact address, apartment number and capacity. | Same planned process as other qualifying units; confirm commencement. |
| Aparthotel | Excluded if it qualifies as an apartment hotel under the relevant definition. | Document the operating model and classification; clarify borderline cases. | The exclusion concerns this STL regime, not every accommodation obligation. |
| Hotel room | Assume a room within a qualifying hotel: excluded from the STL unit definition. | Keep hotel registration and classification records separately. | Existing hotel obligations remain a separate matter. |
Scope references: department classification guidance and Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, Article 3(1). Recheck the final Irish implementation for your circumstances.
Hypothetical mixed property: a Kerry hotel also markets two detached cottages individually. Keep three assessment records: one for the hotel operation and one for each cottage. Ask whether the cottages form part of the hotel classification or are separate short-stay units. Shared ownership, reception or a booking system should not be your sole evidence for excluding them.
Prepare a record for each potentially covered unit
Use a worksheet to separate confirmed facts from questions awaiting an answer. The Fáilte Ireland registration FAQs describe the intended host, unit and declaration requirements. Build the following operational checklist around them:
- Identify the accommodation: record the internal unit name, address and Eircode, marketed category, services actually provided, maximum guests and bed places.
- Identify the responsible host: confirm the individual or company and the person who will check and submit its details. Keep sensitive identity information in a restricted record.
- Map the listings: list the unit’s website page and each online travel agency (OTA) listing. Leave the future STL-number field blank until a valid number is issued.
- Resolve classification: send Fáilte Ireland a concise description of the accommodation, service level and any hotel connection. Retain its response with a date and named reviewer.
- Resolve planning separately: ask the relevant local authority about the unit’s authorised use and applicable permissions. Fáilte Ireland directs individual planning queries to local authorities.
- Assign the launch checks: name who will verify opening, review the final declaration, enter issued numbers on the correct listings and record the next renewal date.
Do not treat a future registration number as planning permission or a quality award. Fáilte Ireland explicitly distinguishes STL registration from its Quality Assured accommodation scheme.
Keep your operational records consistent
RoomRaccoon’s software for serviced apartments and aparthotels supports reservation and apartment allocation workflows. Its property management system (PMS) brings booking details into a central calendar. Match your compliance worksheet to those accommodation names and check stay dates against reservations. The classification decision, legal declaration and registration checks remain separate manual tasks; confirm any Fáilte Ireland registration or reporting functionality separately before relying on it.
Bring your room, apartment and cottage list to a demo to review how your accommodation mix could be organised.
Book a demo for your propertyShort-term letting registration FAQs
Does an apartment become exempt if I call it an aparthotel?
No. Use the actual accommodation category and operating model. Record the services provided and obtain clarification if the hotel-type classification is uncertain.
What if we only accept stays longer than 21 nights?
Fáilte Ireland’s guidance places lettings longer than 21 nights outside this STL registration requirement. Check your real booking rules: also offering short stays changes the assessment.
Can I use one number for all my cottages?
The planned process gives each registered unit its own number. Map numbers to individual units and their corresponding listings; do not substitute one business-wide reference.
Should I budget a specific registration fee now?
No confirmed euro amount appears in the Fáilte Ireland information reviewed. Mark the fee as awaiting announcement and update your budget when the official amount is published.
Sources and checks
Checked on 13 November 2026 for the Republic of Ireland. December dates are the announced rollout; confirm the final legislation, commencement and portal availability before acting.
