Dublin City Council bans Airbnb-style lockboxes from mid-April due to safety and planning concerns.
The city sees them as a safety risk, as people often use these boxes for short-term rentals. These lockboxes are now very common in Dublin, allowing owners to avoid meeting guests in person. The boxes attach to street signs and bike stands.
The council says this blocks footpaths, creating a tripping hazard. Councillors agreed on the ban at a meeting, prompted by a special report.
Councillor Mannix Flynn said the council has dealt with this issue, adding that lockboxes link to illegal activity, like drugs. Councillor Janet Horner said the boxes highlight planning abuse and that these rentals misuse public resources.
The meeting addressed tenant evictions too, with councillors wanting the “Tenants In Situ Scheme” back. Councillor Daithí Doolan called the vote “very significant,” noting government parties backed a Sinn Féin motion.
They want the Housing Minister to reinstate the scheme which lets the council buy properties for tenants facing no-fault eviction. It allows families to stay in their homes, with the council becoming their landlord.
This scheme has helped many families, so the government needs to fund it again, Doolan explained. He continued by saying many families face eviction, thus this scheme would let them stay safe.
He believes it is avoidable if action is taken, so the motion asks the Minister to release funds soon. The funding would let the council buy homes and prevent families from becoming homeless. The Lord Mayor will contact the Minister and urge him to release funds at once.