The new Labour government is pressing ahead with plans to clampdown on short-lets across England.
The government wants to restrict short-let supply by granting local authorities greater powers to introduce planning consent for landlords where deemed necessary. A new mandatory national register for short-term lets has also been proposed.
A ministry source told The Telegraph that the registration scheme will be introduced “as quickly as possible”.
In Wales, councils already have a similar register – known as an “Article 4 Direction” – but the policy extends to second home ownership as well as holiday lets. Northern Ireland has long had a registration scheme in place.
The short-term let rules were initially promised by former Conservative housing secretary Michael Gove in December 2022, as part of a package of measures designed to reassure Tory backbenchers in uproar over his planning changes.
Some analysts have warned against a new registration scheme for short-term let controls – a move they say has so far backfired in Edinburgh.
Andy Fenner, the chief executive of the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA), warned that a locally run scheme could be a “mess”.
“We are very concerned that the registration scheme is not going to be national. We’re concerned that it is going to be introduced either by county, region or council,” he said. “We are worried that it [a registration scheme] is one step away from some poorly done licensing scheme, which is not what we want.”
Sophie Lang, of ARLA Propertymark, said: “Similar measures elsewhere have led to operational issues for landlords regarding the short term lets market, which in turn driven up prices and damaged tourism in some areas that depend on it.
“It’s vital to have a fair balance that encourages landlords back into the long-term rental market while still supporting local economies that rely on tourism.”
A ministry of housing spokesman commented: “We are introducing a short-term lets registration scheme to help give councils greater oversight and control of housing in their areas.”
As short-let accommodations like Airbnb, holiday lets, and second homes continue to grow, it’s clear they operate as businesses rather than residential homes. To reflect this, we should introduce a new planning category—C1a—to align them with hotels and guest houses (C1).
Requiring planning permission for short-lets under C1a would provide transparency about the true impact on local housing. This is particularly important in areas popular with holidaymakers, where too many homes are unavailable for permanent residents.
This change would also ensure that short-lets are taxed fairly as businesses. Currently, many short-let properties avoid paying business rates and contribute less to local services like waste disposal. Reclassifying them would close this loophole and ensure they are treated the same as the hotels and guest houses they compete with.
While some short-let providers might argue against this classification, fairness demands that we consider the broader impact on housing availability and community resources. Running a business should come with business responsibilities.
This approach would create a fairer, more transparent system that benefits both local communities and the housing market.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
I use airbnb all the time
Nottingham test match I could not find a hotel for less than £250 a night
Found a self contained airbnb for £70 which was lovely
I did not affect the local community other than by spending money in pubs and restaurants
Labour will screw up the backside anyone who tries to do something for themselves to pay for those who do f all
SIGH
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
We do not have a shortage of homes to buy, the shortage is only for homes to rent. Look around the UK is a building site with new builds everywhere. We also have a housing shortage in areas of the UK with no second homes or holiday lets. Blaming holiday lets is just a cop out. s24 was introduced for long term lets and just forced landlords to either convert to holiday lets, sell up or increase rents. s24 has now been introduced for holiday lets, why would a holiday let owner want to change to full time letting. Most holiday lets are not first time buyer homes. Some holiday lets are also a family’s primary home, rented for just a few weeks to supplement their income. With the loss of so many family budget hotels holiday lets bring millions every year into local economies and provide thousands of jobs. Many tourist attractions would close down without this valuable tourist accommodation.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register