AQW 1549/22-27


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 15/06/2022
Answered On Date: 27/06/2022
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail (i) the number of active short-term holiday let licences, in each constituency, in each of the last five years; and (ii) what conversations he has had with Tourism NI regarding the number of short-term holiday let licences granted in holiday areas, which are experiencing a shortage of long-term rental properties for local residents.


Answer:
All tourist accommodation in Northern Ireland requires inspection and certification by Tourism NI, irrespective of the duration the business is being used as a tourist let. A certificate is renewable every four years and ensures a minimum standard is met by all accommodation providers.
For tourism businesses within the self catering sector, a tourist let may not be the primary use, with many properties also being utilised as student accommodation or personal holiday homes during the off-peak season.
Tourism NI is not legally required to hold a record of how many trading weeks tourism businesses operate but does record accommodation stock within each council area.
The latest figures for self catering stock by Council area including bedspace capacity are set out in the table below.
Council
Bed Spaces
Rooms Units
Total Premises
Antrim and Newtownabbey
328
74
54
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon
487
98
72
Belfast
2679
677
452
Causeway Coast and Glens
12442
2148
1849
Derry and Strabane
787
170
117
Fermanagh and Omagh
2564
474
265
Lisburn and Castlereagh
504
114
84
Mid and East Antrim
942
205
166
Mid Ulster
805
161
117
Newry, Mourne and Down
2624
521
401
North Down and Ards
985
221
195
Total
25147
4863
3772
There are other statutory requirements, such as planning permission or change of use requests for tourist accommodation, which fall outside the scope of Tourism NI’s legislative remit. Such responsibilities sit with individual councils. Tourism NI is not therefore responsible for controlling the number of tourist lets in any given area.