Close to 70 Airbnb-style lock boxes removed in Dublin since crackdown started in mid-April
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has removed 69 lock boxes from public realm spaces since a crackdown began in mid-April.
The key lock boxes are increasingly being used across Europe to store accommodation keys for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb.
Rather than having to meet the renter in person, or install some type of electronic lock or key box on the property, some Airbnb owners are storing keys in lock boxes that they then attach to public infrastructure, such as bike stands and street signage poles.
The renters are given a code which allows them to open the lock box and retrieve the key for the accommodation, without the need for the landlord to meet them in person.
However, the placement of these lock boxes in the public realm is not authorised by Dublin City Council and the
Council approved measures to 'remove and destroy' the lock boxes from 14 April.
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In a report in February, the Council noted that the lock boxes are sometimes
'left lying on the ground without any protection, resulting in a public health issue as they may become contaminated' over time.
In January,
Paris followed several other French cities in banning the use of key lock boxes in public spaces.
Dublin City Council said that the 69 lock boxes that have been removed so far have been 'shredded'.
'Removals will continue to occur when observed or when we are notified by members of the public of a location,' said a Council spokesperson, who added that if anyone wants to report a location, they can do so by emailing
citycentreprojects@dublincity.ie
.
Sinn Féin Councillor Ciarán Ó Meachair welcomed the figures and said 'Dubliners are very rightly concerned about the effect that short-term holiday rentals are having on the housing crisis'.
'The overabundance of them in certain parts of Dublin is causing areas to lose any sense of community,' he added.
He also encouraged the public to report lockboxes to Dublin City Council to 'ensure this clutter is removed from our streets'.
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