Short-term letting in Kenmare and the Beara side of Kerry

Kenmare is a planned heritage town at the head of Kenmare Bay, where the Ring of Kerry meets the Beara Peninsula. Its restaurants, walking routes and position between Killarney and Glengarriff make it a favourite for longer summer stays, with guests who expect a high standard. Stock runs from townhouses and apartments in the centre to detached homes along the bay and in the hills towards Tuosist and Kilgarvan.

Planning outlook

Kenmare has fewer than 3,000 residents, well under the 20,000 mark in the National Planning Statement approved in June 2026. Kerry County Council therefore has no presumption to refuse. It examines housing need locally, the build-up of short lets in the same street or estate, and the usual traffic, flooding and pollution questions. In a town of this size where housing for workers is scarce, expect those questions to be asked seriously.

If you already let

The statement gives operators in smaller places two years to become compliant. Continuous letting for seven years or more without enforcement creates a presumption in favour, so the length of your track record matters. Platform statements, tax returns and a booking log are the evidence to assemble.

Uses exempt from permission

• Rooms in the home where you live, once notified to the council.
• The whole of your home while you are away, up to 90 days a year.

Houses in the countryside

Rural homes around the bay were often granted under rural housing policy with occupancy conditions. Read the grant: a condition reserving the house for a permanent resident may need to be addressed before any tourist use.

Register and tax

Registration with Fáilte Ireland is planned from 1 December 2026, with each unit's number displayed on its listings. Letting through the season as a business is a trade for tax purposes; occasional lets are taxed as other income. Rent-a-room relief does not cover short-stay guests.

Our advice

Kenmare rewards quality, and quality starts with a clean planning position. If you are weighing an application or retention, send us your details; we study every request and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.

Around the bay and over the passes

Kenmare's own sights are modest in size but well loved: the Bronze Age stone circle a few minutes from the square, the August horse fair, and the evening walk out to the pier. The town was laid out in the eighteenth century on the orders of the Lansdowne estate, which explains its triangle of broad streets. Around it, the attractions are spread out and reward guests who stay several nights.

• Gleninchaquin Park near Tuosist, with its waterfall and upland loops, and Derreen Garden at Lauragh, on the Beara side.
• Kenmare Bay boat trips to see seals, and sea angling from the pier.
• Bonane Heritage Park on the road to Glengarriff, with its stone fort and forest paths.
• The Kerry Way and the Beara Way both pass through, so walkers arrive with muddy boots and heavy packs.

Road cyclists are another important group, especially around the charity cycle of the Ring of Kerry in early summer. They need secure indoor storage and understanding about arrival times.

The route to Killarney, the N71 via Moll's Gap and Ladies View, is spectacular but winding and often slow behind coaches. Guests with dinner reservations or flights from Kerry Airport should be warned to allow time. In winter, check that the listing's photos reflect the season: a bay house can feel isolated when many restaurants close.