Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 26 February (HL Deb, col 88), what assessment they have made (1) of reports in the media, as broadcast on BBC1 on 25 February, about companies offering advice to circumvent the 90-day limit for short-term lettings, and (2) of the existing regulatory framework for those who offer such lettings; and what plans they have to ensure that the 90-day limit is enforced.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has been clear that it is illegal to let a property out on a short-term basis in London for more than 90 days in a calendar year without appropriate planning permission. Therefore, the Government condemns any actions taken to encourage landlords to break the law.
We are encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA) to drive up standards and promote best practice, and to work with local authorities to support their enforcement and monitoring functions. The STAA has developed a package of measures to help hosts, guests and building managers and owners understand their legal responsibilities, which will help to tackle awareness and enforcement of the 90 night rule.
Responsibility for enforcing the 90 night rule in London lies with local authorities, as it does for any breaches of planning control, and householders who breach the rules face potentially significant fines.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 26 February (HL Deb, col 89), what progress has been made on the introduction of the accreditation body for short-term lettings; what consultation has taken place and is planned to take place; who has been, or will be, consulted; and when they expect such a body to be established.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We welcome the work that the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA) is doing to drive up standards and promote best practice.
The STAA is introducing a voluntary industry accreditation scheme for short term rental businesses and hosts that allows properties to become STAA accredited if they meet certain standards, including on health and safety. The accreditation scheme is organised by Quality in Tourism, and has been developed in conjunction with Visit England and piloted with at least three different sized organisations. The scheme is live on the STAA’s website, and will be formally launched on 14 March at the STAA’s Short Stay Show annual industry conference.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns about the growth in short-term letting in Manchester.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has not made an assessment of concerns about the growth in short-term letting in Manchester. We believe that it is for local authorities to assess the impact within their area. The Government does however monitor broader trends in private rented housing through the English Housing Survey.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of steps taken in other countries requiring home owners to offer only their primary residences as short-term holiday lets and to register with the local council and pay a fee before doing so.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We do not intend to introduce new legislation to prohibit short term lets or require households to register these lets. Instead, the Government is encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to drive up standards and promote best practice in the industry, and to work with local authorities to support their enforcement and monitoring functions.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to require local authorities to verify that properties for short-term or holiday lets have a legal right to do so under freehold or leasehold agreements or any other legal restrictions on the use of their properties.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Individual leases and tenancy agreements are a matter for landlords and tenants. Where permission under the contract is required to sub-let but is not obtained then landlords have legal routes to enforce the contract.
Where short term lets breach planning control, responsibility for enforcement lies with local authorities, who already have numerous legislative powers to take action. We do not intend to introduce new legislation to require a short term lets register. Instead, the Government is taking a non-regulatory approach by encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to drive up standards and promote best practice in the industry, and to share data on booking with local authorities to aid their enforcement and monitoring functions.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities are aware which properties in their areas are being offered for short-term or holiday lets.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Individual leases and tenancy agreements are a matter for landlords and tenants. Where permission under the contract is required to sub-let but is not obtained then landlords have legal routes to enforce the contract.
Where short term lets breach planning control, responsibility for enforcement lies with local authorities, who already have numerous legislative powers to take action. We do not intend to introduce new legislation to require a short term lets register. Instead, the Government is taking a non-regulatory approach by encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to drive up standards and promote best practice in the industry, and to share data on booking with local authorities to aid their enforcement and monitoring functions.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following recent actions by Palma and Valencia to ban the use of apartments as short-term holiday lets, what assessment they have made of the need for similar action in the UK.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
There are no plans to ban the use of residential properties for short term letting.
The Government supports the sharing economy. Short term lettings enable households to supplement their income by renting out their under used accommodation and it promotes economic growth from tourism by increasing the amount of competitively priced accommodation available for tourists.
There is a responsibility on people who short term let out their homes, or rooms in their homes, to do so responsibly. Where short term lets breach the rules, responsibility for enforcement lies with the local authority, as it does for any breaches of planning control, and householders who breach the rules potentially face significant fines.
We are taking a non-regulatory approach by encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to improve standards and promote best practice in the industry, and to share data on booking with local authorities to aid their enforcement and monitoring functions.
Introducing further legislation would be overly bureaucratic, and would place unnecessary regulatory burdens on households which could act as a barrier to letting out their properties on a short term basis.