The UK government is also setting up a short-term rental register. Chris Bryant, Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, has confirmed that the legislation will come into force very soon.
The register will require landlords and managers of short-term rental properties in England to provide details of
– The address of the property,
– The address of the property; Contact details,
– the total number of overnight stays on an annual basis; and
– Certificates of compliance with minimum safety and quality standards for gas, furnishings, electrical installations, boiler and fire safety.
All listings on online platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com will also be required by law to include the registration number in the register.
The register will also be used to identify permits for homes that are not to be let as a main residence and that can be let for more than the statutory 90 days without planning permission (as is the case in London).
A strong short-term rental sector in the UK
The aim of the regulations is to ensure a level playing field by requiring short-term lets to meet similar safety and quality standards to hotels and B&Bs.
Bryant commented that the aim of the registration scheme is to ensure that there is a genuinely strong tourist property rental economy without undermining local housing strategies.
According to the Minister, the Government is working to create a separate short-term lettings sector, while introducing stronger powers for local authorities to enforce the above measures.
Short-term rental landlords and managers are likely to be required to apply for planning permission for properties that are being put on the market for the first time and are not their main or only home.
The Short-Term Rental Property Register will be launched nationally later this year when the digital register of government departments is completed. Bryant explained that there are still a number of “technical” issues to be resolved before the register can be opened.
Meanwhile, in another government attempt to ease the housing crisis, the National Trust is to open up all suitable holiday homes in Cornwall for long-term rent. The proposal will be put to a meeting of Cornwall Council next week, at a time when there are 24,300 holiday homes in the county, with around 27,000 people currently on a waiting list to rent one.