Limerick Council investigating campervan advertised for short-term let
LIMERICK City and County Council staff have launched an investigation into a campervan which appears to be operating as a short-term letting.
A spokesperson for the local authority confirmed a case file has been opened on the vehicle which is located at the Ballykeeffe Estate in Dooradoyle.
A listing exists on both the hotels website www.booking.com and Airbnb for ‘The Campervan Experience’.
The room rate being charged varies depending on the day with prices for a stay next week starting on booking.com at €87.
Under new rules introduced in 2019 to tackle the housing crisis, any stand-alone property rented out to visitors for stays of under 14 days may need specific planning permission from the local authority.
Council staff are trying to establish if this is the case on the property in Ballykeeffe, with a spokesperson confirming “a number of complaints” have been received about the operation.
Fine Gael councillor for City West Daniel Butler is one of those who wrote to the local authority.
He said: “I had a series of complaints from residents who had huge concerns about this. I think it’s totally inappropriate for the location that it’s in. I’m delighted to see council is taking it very seriously, and are looking to act on it with speed. I would be hopeful of a swift outcome this week in relation to it.”
Independent councillor Fergus Kilcoyne, who also contacted the authority added: “This is a long established residential area not a public holiday camp site.”
“This is not acceptable on many grounds - strangers are walking into the end of the estate with suitcases at all times of the day or night,” added the Patrickswell man.