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A DUBLIN CITY Councillor has said the “unsightly” key lock boxes that are increasingly being seen in public spaces around Dublin is “assisting in the proliferation of Airbnb”.
“If you go to places like Pearse Street or Temple Bar you see them,” said Labour councillor Dermot Lacey of the key lock boxes, often used by people renting out short-term accommodation.
“I’ve been told that Essex Street is littered with them and I notice them particularly around the Gaiety School of Acting, a whole load of key lock boxes chained to poles, or bicycle stands, or traffic signs.
“It seems to be that the owners of the Airbnb are quite prepared to keep on buying new lock boxes, because they’re quite cheap, and they never remove them.”
Rather than having to meet the renter, 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.
The renters are given a code which allows them to open the lock box and retrieve the key for the accommodation.
At the beginning of this year, Paris followed several other French cities in seeking to ban the use of key lock boxes in public spaces.
Lacey raised the issue at a Dublin City Council meeting in May, and asked the Chief Executive Richard Shakespeare if he would “arrange for the unauthorised Airbnb key containers locked to various DCC structures to be removed across the City”.
The Chief Executive’s reply remarked that “landlords of holiday-lets are treated the same as landlords of standard-lets regarding their responsibilities under the Litter Bye-Laws”.
“More regulation by the government of the holiday-lets would undoubtedly reduce these incidences,” said the Chief Executive.
“On all of these public spaces, you have dozens of locks chained to them,” Lacey told The Journal.
“This is not a major crisis in the world and I’m not trying to claim it is, but they are unsightly, they gather dirt, they also assist in the proliferation of Airbnb.
“While I’ve no objection to a reasonable proportion of Airbnbs, it is a contributory factor to our housing problem.”
The Government is planning on cracking down on short-term lets, such as Airbnb, with its Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill.
Under the current draft of the bill, properties advertised for short-term letting via online platforms would be obliged to have a valid registration number with Fáilte Ireland.
Any host offering accommodation for periods of up to and including 21 nights will need to be registered.
Meanwhile, Lacey said the lock boxes in public spaces results in “the owner of the property never having to meet the renter, while the renter doesn’t know who the owner of the property is”.
“It’s a very impersonal way of letting out properties, and I don’t think that’s a particularly good thing.”
When asked if attaching lock boxes to such public infrastructure could also be a safety issue, Lacey said he didn’t want to “label places as being dangerous”.
However, he added: “Having lock boxes deep in the heart of the inner city on streets that aren’t used a lot, it could be dangerous.
“While there is too much fear-mongering at the moment – by and large Dublin is a safe city – I think people have to be careful and you don’t encourage people to go down dark lanes, or even bright lanes, that aren’t very well populated late at night.”
Lacey said it “all adds up to a questionable use of property in Dublin”.
“We need to use property better, we need to treat people safely,” said Lacey. “However, the issue that I am really highlighting is the unsightliness and the dirt of it.”
When asked about potential measures to tackle the “unsightliness” of the lock boxes, Lacey said he doesn’t think a new by-law would be needed.
“These are items chained to Dublin City Council property.
“I am making a presumption that Dublin City Council can remove items attached to their property that have no purpose,” said Lacey.
“We remove bicycle locks that are left on cycle stands for example, and I see no reason why we can’t remove these lock boxes as well.”
In response to The Journal, Airbnb noted that it is not the only short-term rental platform in Dublin and remarked that it is not clear that it is Airbnb hosts who are solely responsible for the key lock boxes in Dublin city.
Airbnb said it requires all hosts to exchange keys in a safe and secure manner and while this can include in-person exchanges, it can also include the use of lock boxes.
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This councillor should do something productive with his time
@Argus Romsworth: Argus,
I specifically said it was not a Priority or major problem. It is an issue I raised at Council – made no major issue about it and The Journal contacted me and I replied. Do you think I should not have replied.
Housing is by far the biggest issue and I have delivered new Social and Affordable Housing through initiatives I worked on and hope to deliver more over next term.
Thankfully only a few months ago the electorate endorsed me for a further term on the City Council so I hope I have been doing a good job.
@Argus Romsworth: I specifically said this was not a priority issue in overall terms. However it is an issue worth addressing and I did so at the May City Council meeting. I made no fuss of this, issued no press statement etc. However The Journal asked me about it and I replied. Should I have not replied???
Of course it is not the biggest issue. Housing is. Over the years I have delivered new Social and Affordable initiatives. I hope to continue to do so.
Last June the electorate voted to give me a seventh term on Dublin City Council. I will try to work hard and justify that support.
@Dermot Lacey: best of luck making a difference the areas that matter. Hope you can make a positive impact there
@Dermot Lacey: it is the dirt on the streets that you should be concerned. With, especially in D1. I am in D1 at 7.00am and your crews are out picking up all the mess from bags that have been left out the previous evening. Why can’t the crews be out the previous evening3rd world city And why do we allow businesses to put out their rubbish on Grafton street at close of business. It looks disgusting. And why do we allow 3 different companies to pick up these collections. Give the contract to one company . Communal bins for businesss and let them put their rubbish in those bins.
@Argus Romsworth: I’ll lend him an angle grinder and bolt cutters
So let me get this straight. You have a problem with these lock boxes being put on walls. My god you have alot of time on your hands. Maybe sort out the scourge of businesses and landlords leaving bags of rubbish out on the streets for seagulls to rip apart every day and nothing being done about it. Maybe sort out the anti social behaviour about town. Maybe come up with away of people being able to park there motorbike or pushbike in town without it being robbed. Maybe cop on and work on real problems. Just sayin like
Wow…easily rattled aren’t you…how bout respectfully declining to comment as you have more pressing matters to attend to.
@damien leen: Damien,
Working on several major issues at present and preparing for resumption of Council meetings in September. Not rattled at all – after 32+ years as a Councillor not much rattles me but I do try and respond when people ask me to deal with issues – big or small – and have always tried to be open and engaged with the media. Have a nice Day.
@You’re Not Serious: Because the government at the time privatised state services, waste, water etc.
All have one thing in common a total failure.
Some councillors have been pushing for years for DCC to take back control of waste management in Dublin and to stop these companies making millions while giving a terrible service at astronomical prices.
All the filth strewn around Dublin city centre which could be improved with some additional council staff cleaners, and this is the priority?
@Longlin: Is it the priority?
@SYaxJ2Ts: Just distraction from the dirt.
Airbnbs should be removed from our housing stock and homeownership should be returned after FG prioritised internationals buying up swaths of our collective housing stock
All the hotels used to house immigrants buildings which could be used to house low earners turned into immigrant housing. Planning removed to allow quick build of immigrant accommodation. All our properties sold off to vulture funds.
Yet it’s Jo public trying to make a little bit on the side or you work to afford a property for air bnb.
Air bnb and your hard work is the problem for no housing and high rents and sale prices…
Low earners ARE immigrants. The Irish don’t work in poverty paid jobs.
@Be Lucky: C’mon, we all know it’s not “Jo public trying to make a little bit on the side”,
but usually someone financing a 2nd property thru Airbnb.
There’re enough stories going around about Airbnb hosts contact renters outside of Airbnb to get around the official yearly rented days limit.
The few in my area are only used for the allowed couple of weeks spread over the year and empty for the most part.
These houses were build and sold\bought as (family) homes, not B&B’s.
Airbnb’s should simply not allowed, if you’re not living in it for the rest of the year yourself. And yes, I know, there’s an easy way around this one as well and there should be somehow a way to check\control this.
@Wolfgang Bonow:
Buying a second property is not no as easy as some make out deposit is usually 30 percent of the purchase price plus fees that’s a lot of cash plus legal fees. And if taking equity from another it still costly.
but it your property regardless when you bought it was free of restrictions.
The government should like with commercial properties have zoning x amount zoned re sale only x amount local buyers buy to let x amount holiday lets.
Then only new builds again zoned x amount overseas buyers.
There should be a scheme where the last years rent counts as a deposit and with property sold to the tenant whether shared ownership or straight sale the sale be tax free.
Air b&b are a huge contributor to the housing crisis.
@Fergus O’Donnell: well it is and isn’t. I sold up a rented house I owned start of the year and bought apartment in city center for air BNB. Low risk it’s great. In last gig tenants has the rights which was fine but got out of hand. They benefitted far more than I. This much simpler gig and far better profits.
@James King: Which proves the point exactly! Air BnBs have reduced the rental stock.
Instead of trying to crack down on Airbnb short term rentals, and key boxes.
Our national and local politicans should focus on delivering more than enough social housing to meet our current and future requirements, across the entire country.
This is typical political spoofery, make an issue out of something inconsequential, and pledge to leave no stone unturned in addressing it. Instead of addressing the important social issues like the housing crisis, and the failing public services that they are actually meant to deliver on.
They collectively need to pull their heads out of their backsides and do something productive for once, rather than focusing on being seen to play politics.
@Dvsespaña: Airbnb’s were build as family homes or apartments.
This should be their purpose and unless you can provide and proof a specific reason for renting them out short term and leave the object sitting idle for the most part of year (according to regulations), they should be eradicated.
Airbnb owners should pay their taxes.
Anybody who thinks that key lock boxes are a contributing factor to homelessness is really scraping the barrel. We do not need them in public places I agree but we should have included private spaces, even if just a porch, with each build. This might solve the unsightliness of the boxes on public property. Not sure if it would discourage airbnb or solve the housing crises
Meanwhile it isn’t safe to walk the streets of Dublin as you risk getting robbed, beaten up or killed. But dirty airbnb lock boxes, well that is really the most important issue facing the glorious Dublin council.
DCC fiddling while Rome burns.
@Àine G. On behalf of airb&b owners and many landlords can I ask you what are taxes?
@Padraig O’Brien: the mental tax of being a money grabbing leech?
Tents, heroin needles and other rubbish all over the city center and this fella is worried about lock boxes. Dublin City center is a disgusting kip. Needs more cleaners and litter wardens.
AirBnB is a Pox on society.
@Meh Meh: you mean a monkey pox
@You’re Not Serious: can’t say monkeypox any more… its mpox. The monkeys got offended.
Airbnb is just another service, there ain’t no other way to stay in the capital without getting fleeced. It ain’t cheap but compared to a hotel its a bargin. This idea that Airbnb is causing a housing crisis is pure bull. Let’s not forget that nothing was built in this country for the best part of a decade.
@Shimo F: that makes no sense.
The state of the city – but assume these small steps are part of a wider effective plan
I notice the photograph accompanying the article is of a presumably privately owned rainwater downpipe, not a ‘DCC structure’.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: It actually looks like older premises that DCC do own. Large flat complex’s like this are in numerous parts of the city.
Why would AirBnB owners attach these to public property? Has the council ever opened them?
To me it sounds more like something drug dealers would be up to rather than home owners.
Unsightly open and unabashed drug dealing should be looked at first, also, homelessness in our city is more unsightly than bloody key boxes.
Probably tenants making ends meet by AirBnB. Not necessarily the owner of the property, who is likely letting it long term due to all the regulations and so on.
Tenants have little to lose – they can’t really be fined or suffer loss.
Maybe DCC could put up more signs warning against the habit, thereby blocking them from view, along with everything else?
Smak heads defecating between cars is far more unsightly for me… but it IS part of our culture now
The state of the country and all his worrying about is this ,what a tool
@M G: Silly comment. I work on many issues. This one The Journal asked me about.
@Dermot Lacey: It should be the same with all abandoned locks on publicly owned structures.
Anywhere else these lock boxes are on the property being rented or at least in private space attached to it. They should not be in public spaces, it seems to me that the council is entitled to remove them as litter.
Pretty much a non problem.
This thread has the right to go off topic and get rancid.
@Phillip Smyth: you mean like what nationality was the 16 year old?
If on public property, rip them off the wall and bin them.
Like the streets with no names.
Not sure it’s enforceable
Some test?
People seem to miss the bigger picture, it has been a well established fact that the dirtier a place looks the more antisocial behaviour it attracts and the lack of respect for keeping it clean is eroded. Add to this to possibility they are being used for more than keys. On a side note people probably arnt putting them on their buildings because they don’t have permission to mount them to their building and if they do they are as secure as a wet farm.
have your say