Well, it’s not often we refer directly back to an article we’ve just done, but Liveline guest, Seamus Murphy, with his soft-spoken and, frankly, nonchalant performance this afternoon gave us little option.
Seamus was the unnamed subject of Liveline's Airbnb investigation last week, when a woman called Angela called the show. Angela, through an estate agent, had let her property to an “unnamed tenant”, who subsequently sublet rooms individually to holidaymakers through the website, Airbnb. This despite a clause in the lease forbidding subletting.
The “unnamed tenant” was unmasked today, very willingly, it seemed. And you have to say, it made for a compelling listening! Especially as the landlord from last Friday, Angela Black, was on the other line.
Seamus was calm, relaxed, dismissive of Angela’s concerns. One thing he wasn’t, however, was shy.
“All of the properties I have are in the general Drumcondra area. Very good location for Airbnb. Convenient to the city centre, convenient to the airport.”
Hang on. All of the properties?
Yes, you read that correctly. Seamus has about 40 rooms on Airbnb, none of which he owns, between various properties he leases from various landlords.
All very well, you might think, the marketplace working as marketplaces do. But, asks Joe, the crucial question. “Do the landlords know? Because Angela Black, the woman who was on last Friday, certainly didn’t know. ”
“My opinion was that she knew. Her apartment was advertised on DAFT. I explained my case to the agency. She seemed to think that it would work very well.”
But, asked Joe Duffy, how did Seamus come up with this idea?
“It’s not rocket science, Joe."
Seamus now has a team of people who work with him to advertise rooms, welcome the guests, clean up afterwards, and manage the operation. He's has been doing this for over two years and, although he finds it a challenge, he also find it rewarding.
Later in the programme, Angela, the woman featured in our previous article, was brought onto the show by Joe, to confront Seamus. Originally, as far as she was concerned, he was a single tenant, renting her house through an agent, in a lease that included a clause prohibiting sub-letting the house. She was unimpressed with Seamus, describing him as “rude” when she originally confronted him. Seamus was unapologetic.
“You called me to tell me to vacate your house following evening at five o’clock. I told you in no uncertain terms that wasn’t going to happen.”
As far as Angela was concerned, according to the lease, if any the clauses in the lease were broken, she had the right to ask people to vacate within seven days. She wouldn’t have known about subletting at all, had she not received a complaint from a neighbour. Cue this response from Seamus.
“I will agree with you there, you have a very complaining neighbour.”
Angela’s main concern was over insurance but, according to Seamus, Airbnb host insurance covers all eventualities of damage being done by visitors to the home. He says he rents most of his places directly from landlords, although some he secures through agents.
"And would you let rooms in his own house?", asked Joe. “I would definitely do that”, said Seamus, “but my wife wouldn’t be comfortable with strangers in her own house.”
One of the principal problems presented by Airbnb, particularly in cities like Dublin, is the fact that the website, by its very nature, takes housing stock off the market, away from people live and work in the city on a permanent basis. With a rampant homelessness crisis, and a housing market virtually closed off to young first-time buyers, Airbnb, the argument goes, takes a huge amount of property off the market.
But, as far as Seamus is concerned, he is contributing to the economy in other ways, by making it easier for tourists to visit the city and spend their money here in Dublin and Ireland.
As pointed out previously, the market does what the market will do.
To listen to the full interview, click here.