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Written Question
Change of Use: Coronavirus
Tuesday 11th August 2020

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 action they plan to take to bring presently unused office spaces into use to provide housing for those who are unable to find safe places to live during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

Almost 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 emergency. This includes people coming in directly from the streets, people previously housed in shared night shelters and people who have become vulnerable to rough sleeping during the pandemic.

On 24 June we announced that we are?providing local authorities with?a further?£105 million?to enable them?to?best?support those placed into emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic.?This commitment?will help?to ensure that as few of these people as possible return to the streets.

We also recently announced that £160 million of Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme funding will help ensure that 6,000 new housing units are put into the system, with 3,300 of these becoming available within 2020/21. We expect local authorities and registered providers to bring forward units of accommodation from a variety of sources and this could potentially include repurposing other buildings where appropriate.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation: Homelessness
Tuesday 11th August 2020

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 the case for providing access to unused holiday lets accommodation in London to homeless people.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

Almost 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 emergency. This includes people coming in directly from the streets, people previously housed in shared night shelters and people who have become vulnerable to rough sleeping during the pandemic.

On 24 June we announced that we are?providing local authorities with?a further?£105 million?to enable them?to?best?support those placed into emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic.?This commitment?will help?to ensure that as few of these people as possible return to the streets.

We also recently announced that £160 million of Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme funding will help ensure that 6,000 new housing units are put into the system, with 3,300 of these becoming available within 2020/21. We expect local authorities and registered providers to bring forward units of accommodation from a variety of sources and this could potentially include repurposing other buildings where appropriate.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation: Greater London
Monday 3rd February 2020

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 recent discussions they have had with local authorities in Greater London about the licensing of properties to be used as short-term holiday lets; and what were the outcomes of any such discussions.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

My Department has not discussed this specific issue with local authorities in Greater London since the 2019 General Election. However, my Department has regular contact with local authorities and remains open to discussing any concerns they hold.

While the Government does not require short-term accommodation providers to register, the Short Term Accommodation Association has developed an accreditation scheme, in partnership with Quality in Tourism, called ‘Safe, Clean and Legal’.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation: Greater London
Monday 3rd February 2020

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 the impact of short-term holiday lets on the availability of housing for those who wish to live in London.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government has not made such an assessment. However, restrictions are in place to limit the use of residential property for short-term let in London. The Deregulation Act 2015 imposes a 90-day limit on any such letting within a single calendar year.

The sharing economy plays an important role in accommodating tourists, who make a huge financial contribution to the country. But there are also legitimate concerns about the impact on local communities. The Government remains open to hearing the views of all stakeholders on the matter. It is important to find ways to address these concerns without placing too great a burden on the growing sharing economy.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation
Thursday 23rd January 2020

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 (1) the impact of the Deregulation Act 2015 on short-term lettings, and (2) the proposal by the Mayor of London in April 2019 for the introduction of a registration system for those renting property for less than 90 days in a calendar year in London; and what plans they have, if any, to introduce such a system.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Deregulation Act 2015 limits short-term lettings in London to 90 days per property per calendar year. We have not made any specific assessment of its impact on short-term lettings. As to the proposal by the Mayor of London, the Government has no current plans to introduce such a register. However, we are aware of the work by the Short-Term Accommodation Association as well as platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and TripAdvisor to put in place their own procedures to avoid breach of the 90-day limit which we note with interest.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation
Wednesday 13th March 2019

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.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation
Wednesday 13th March 2019

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.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation: Greater Manchester
Monday 11th February 2019

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.


Written Question
Holiday Accommodation: Registration
Monday 7th January 2019

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.


Written Question
Sub-letting: Holiday Accommodation
Monday 2nd July 2018

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.