Proposals to allow short lets in London without the need for planning permission have raised fears about terrorism.

On Wednesday in the House of Lords, hours after the Charlie Hebdo slaughter in Paris, a peer questioned the effects of the Deregulation Bill.

The Government is currently consulting on proposals to allow Londoners, including home owners and landlords, to be able rent out homes for under 90 consecutive days without having to go through the planning process.

The current requirement is policed differently by London boroughs – some rigorously and some not at all. The need for planning permission, introduced in 1973, was highlighted when many owners and landlords tried to cash in during London’s Olympic Games.

In this week’s debate on the London lettings market, Baroness Gardner of Parkes, a Tory who is herself a landlord, said: “I do not know why – and so I ask him [CLG minister Lord Ahmad] why – the Government intend to take away London’s powers to have at least some control over this rapid subletting of short-term holiday accommodation.

“Under the new terrorism regulations, how are the obligations dealt with to ensure that people coming into such blocks of flats are not in any way unsafe for other local residents?

“Their behaviour when they are in the blocks certainly causes great danger, just on the local level of leaving doors open.

“Westminster Council has six officers working full-time on this, and they have never yet lost an appeal when they wished to enforce action.”

In replying, Lord Ahmad said there were safeguards in place.

Another peer, Baroness Donaghy (Labour), queried whether it was right to encourage an increase in short-term lets during a housing crisis.

She asked: “Why are the Government intent on making a bad situation worse?”