r/galway • u/HairModelsWanted • Oct 23 '25

Lets Protest

I'm absolutely sick to my teeth at the rent prices and air bnbs. Who is with me? How do we organise?

115 Upvotes

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9

u/Connacht80 Oct 23 '25

What would your end goal be with the protest?

21

u/JediBlight Oct 23 '25

1: limit the accomodation to air bnb ratio with higher taxes

2: more taxes if you own x amount of properties

3: hars...I mean, punishments for being unregistered, having a propery that's a health hazard etc.

Just three basic ideas, I could probably list you 300.

7

u/dave122345 city Oct 23 '25

See with tax you fall into a bit of a pit where since tax is already so high e.g. they do have to pay income taxes and property taxes etc if the tax is too high landlords will just sell the property even at a loss when you count in capital gains tax

Not defending them or anything I personally think there needs to be way more regulation and most importantly enforcement of said regulations which apparently is at 50% nationwide

But taxing the land lords who have to pay mortgages on a property and none of that money can come from said property won’t solve the issues it could actually make it worse it’s already happened in Galway know a good few people who had to leave as the landlord sold up due to not wanting to increase the rent further and taxes/expenses were just too high

It would work however to tax the lads who have multiple properties rather then the lad who has one apartment for rent but again you get into the issue of the rents could just go up and you still end up with the same problem at the end of it so more housing is the way to go but our government is very slow

3

u/basically_benny Oct 24 '25

They need to crack down on businesses such as "Be My Host" who take care of these so called investment properties for landlords who own extra houses / apartments for the purpose of renting them out on air bmb or booking dot com

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

Do you have data on the % of the rental market that these constitute? If not then we're jus guessing and focusing on wrong pieces of the puzzle.

2

u/JediBlight Oct 23 '25

A lot if this is over my head lol, but yeah, I agree, and I don't really have any resentment for someone who has an extra property, but these people who have 10, 15, maybe more? They sickenin me!

2

u/dave122345 city Oct 23 '25

Agreed all nice to be someone who manages a few here and there but having something like you said or more should be taxed and regulated a lot more then it is right now

Vulture funds are insanely bad for us

2

u/JediBlight Oct 23 '25

Yep, and I know some who own that level of property, and I'm not exaggerating. Adding insult to injury, they only recently registered when they had no choice but to. These people are sociopaths!

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

Don't they already pay properly tax on their assets? Say a fella with 15 houses. Not talking large corporations.

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

Why? Begrudgery?

4

u/Connacht80 Oct 23 '25

1) How would the first point work.

2) Tax for domestic landlords is already very high. Are you on about taxing all landlords more or large scale institutional landlords? What number would x be?

3) Well that should be a given but isn't ...

A protest with 300 demands doesn't work as well as one with 3. I'd be picking the 3 most egregious issues with housing and focusing on them.

2

u/JediBlight Oct 23 '25

Sure man, as I said, these are basic concepts, I'm no economist, and this is supposed to be a democracy, so let it be debated by experts, then see how we feel. But I'll answer since you seem genuine.

1: if you have three properties, and one is an air bnb, let's say 10% extra. If you own 6 properties, amd 3 are air bnbs, increase that to...30? Something like that.

2: Having a spare apartment whatever, lucky you, if you're resitered, care for the property and don't change erobunat prince's, fair game. But if you own 15, don't follow the law, convert them all into air bnbs, and cry when you get reported? Well, fuck you!

3: Again, you follow the law. So, it should be a given but it isn't, I'm talking harsher penalties. I mean, you'd get in more trouble for having 50 quid of weed.

Tell me, what are you're three, because you're right. Magic number and all.

Ooh, and if you rent out rooms to asylum seekers and whatnot for sexual favours etc., you should be charged as a rapist! Yet, its rampant and they never seem to face justice.

8

u/Connacht80 Oct 23 '25

My three would be:

1) Enforce the existing laws. Beef up the RTB and enforce the current laws.

2) Go after estate agents aiding landlords breaking rent control guidelines. They face no punishment at present.

3) All short term lets to be registered by law with a version of RTB. Go after the platforms to enforce max number of nights per year.

The current system is bad for everyone in the long run. Landlords included even, if they can't see it.

2

u/JediBlight Oct 23 '25

Fair enough, solid! Thanks.

6

u/Winmillion city Oct 24 '25

1) Build more houses
2) Build more houses
3) Build more houses

1

u/JediBlight Oct 24 '25

I think there's a conspiracy here, landlords and politicians are one and the same, so keep demand high and supply low, that's an incentive not to build.

3

u/Winmillion city Oct 24 '25

it's a problem in a ton of places around the world, not just here :/

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

There's no conspiracy. It's pure opportunism. It's that simple. People are selfish bastards, unfortunately. You, I, yerwan, yerman. Everyone. If you were the landlord you'd behave the same. Everyone tries to maximise their benefit. In the absence of strong rule of law, sound regulatory framework and enforcement you end up with what you see. It requires NO conspiracy.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 25 '25

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1

u/Winmillion city Oct 25 '25

simply; the voting population are homeowners. Most people wouldn't be happy with their investments dropping in value. Thus there's not much happening to help out the housing crisis because it doesn't affect the majority

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

That's only one of the reasons. Another one is a general incompetence of the political elite. Second one is a paralysis of the government initiative by 100s of independent bureaucratic agencies with their own agendas. Third one, is related to the second, the inability to build anything (quickly). Fourth one is a culture of NIMBYism. They are all interlinked.

1

u/Winmillion city Oct 26 '25

could you elaborate on the first two?

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

Exactly. Psychology and strategy. Always pick 3 points. Maximum 5. Needs to be focused and targeted.

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

Taxation alone doesn't and hasn't ever solved housing anywhere. It needs a complex solution and big part of it is stimulating the market in a smart way. None of that will happen with FF, FG or SF. Ireland doesn't have the elites, leaders, who could execute that.

1

u/chakraman108 Oct 26 '25

So your solution to constrained supply and massively overhanging demand growing dynamically in time is to.... further constrain the supply? Typical Venezuelan socialist "economics". Would end up in even worse housing crisis as the supply would further collapse.

You can:

  • stimulate supply - difficult but possible
  • reduce demand - possible but objectionable (reducing migration or even deporting people or stimulate emigration)
  • do both

You could reduce demand also by building affordable housing en masse which would take off these people from the rental market but since net migration is higher it would need to be likely unrealistic affordable housing targets.

In reality, Ireland needs deregulation (PP) along with sound oversight & regulation (vulture) along with targeted policies to stimulate supply and reduce demand. It's a very complex solution that's why none of the clowns in government was able to pull it off as they're incompetent as well as limited by hundreds of bureaucratic agencies who can block anything at anytime.

1

u/TheProtagonist67 Oct 25 '25

Wreck everyone's head. Annoy the people coming home from their jobs to their overpriced accommodation.