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 Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 28 September 2017 (HL1598), what discussions they have had with the Kensington Society about the impact on long-term residential tenants of the growth in the use of properties in London for short-term holiday lets; when the most recent discussions with that Society were held; and what plans they have to gather specific information about this practice.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has not held discussions with the Kensington Society about the impact of short-term holiday lets on long-term residential tenants. The Government has no current plans to gather information on the use of short-term holiday lets in London but it does monitor broader trends in private rented housing through the English Housing Survey. It is right that Londoners should have similar rights as elsewhere in England and be free to sublet their homes where their tenancy, contract or mortgage allows.
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 on their housebuilding programme of the announcement by the Federation of Master Builders that two-thirds of SME construction companies in London are struggling to hire bricklayers and carpenters.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We need an industry that has the right skills to build more homes, including in new and innovative ways. Industry needs to take responsibility for ensuring that it has a sustainable supply chain, working with contractors to address skills requirements. As we leave the EU, there is an opportunity to invest in the workforce.
In the Housing White Paper, 'Fixing our broken housing market', the Government has set out its plans to help the construction sector ensure that it has the workforce it needs. We are reforming the Construction Industry Training Board so that it delivers the skills and technical education industry needs. This includes more workplace experience and simplification of the path to qualification. A new £34 million fund, administered by the Department for Education, will support and incentivise innovative and employer-led approaches to construction training.
In my own department, we are encouraging greater use of Modern Methods of Construction to increase productivity in housebuilding and reduce our reliance on traditional building skills. We are providing financial support through the Home Building Fund and working with lenders to overcome their concerns. We will ensure that our stakeholders have the opportunity to put their concerns about a future migration model to the Home Office.
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 is their estimate of the number of long-term rental units in London that have changed to become short term or holiday lets in the last five years; and how they plan to encourage private landlords to provide more housing for people seeking long term accommodation.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
As part of the Autumn Budget statement, it was announced that the Government will consult on ways to overcome the barriers landlords can face in offering longer, more secure tenancies to those tenants who want them. We do not have an estimate of those long-term rental units in London that have changed to or are additionally used for short term or holiday lets in the last five years.
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 Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 14 September (HL1596), how many London boroughs have sought consent from the Secretary of State to remove the freedom to short-term let for 90 nights from a property; and whether they have any plans to publicise this procedure to London boroughs.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We have no plans to set up or consult on a local authority register in respect of short term holiday letting eligibility or tenants. One borough sought consent from the Secretary of State to direct that the right to short-term let without planning permission for up to 90 nights in a year should not apply to particular residential properties. The planning practice guidance sets out the criteria the Secretary of State will apply in considering whether to give consent. [The guidance can be found at paragraph: 111 reference ID: 13-111-20160519]
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 Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 14 September (HL1597) that no consultations have been carried out, what plans they have to consult local authorities on a register of short-term holiday let tenants.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We have no plans to set up or consult on a local authority register in respect of short term holiday letting eligibility or tenants. One borough sought consent from the Secretary of State to direct that the right to short-term let without planning permission for up to 90 nights in a year should not apply to particular residential properties. The planning practice guidance sets out the criteria the Secretary of State will apply in considering whether to give consent. [The guidance can be found at paragraph: 111 reference ID: 13-111-20160519]
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 Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 14 September (HL1598), whether they will consider setting up a system under which local authorities would, for a registration fee, have the right to confirm that a holiday let is legally in accordance with the terms of the letter’s mortgage or tenancy agreement.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We have no plans to set up or consult on a local authority register in respect of short term holiday letting eligibility or tenants. One borough sought consent from the Secretary of State to direct that the right to short-term let without planning permission for up to 90 nights in a year should not apply to particular residential properties. The planning practice guidance sets out the criteria the Secretary of State will apply in considering whether to give consent. [The guidance can be found at paragraph: 111 reference ID: 13-111-20160519]
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the research by the Kensington Society which found that there were some 70,000 short-term lets available in London on 2 June 2016 alone, what is their assessment of the impact of the growth in the number of London properties used for short-term holiday lets on the availability of long-term housing in London.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government supports the shared economy, and although it does not hold specific information on short-term holiday lets, it does monitor broader trends in private rented housing through the English Housing Survey. It is right that Londoners should have similar rights as elsewhere in England and be free to sublet their homes where their tenancy, contract or mortgage allows. We condemn, however, the abuse of planning laws, and those in breach face a fine of up to £20,000.
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 is their assessment of the need for a registration process of short-term holiday let tenants; and whether they have consulted local councils on this issue.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
There has been no assessment of, or consultation on, a register of short term holiday let tenants.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of the difficulties experienced by London borough councils in the enforcement of the 90 days a year limit for homeowners' short-term letting of their property.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Where there are concerns about serious abuse of the 90 night limit a London Borough can seek a consent from the Secretary of State for the authority to make a direction to remove the freedom to short term let for 90 nights from that property. The criteria for assessing a request for consent are set out in the Department's planning practice guidance.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of abuse and violence conducted by occupants of short-term holiday lets on neighbouring long-term residents; and what evidence they have for that assessment.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has not made an assessment. Agencies have strong powers for tackling anti-social behaviour through the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act, requiring landlords to deal with nuisance.
Residents affected can request from their Local Authority an Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review - also called Community Trigger – in which they can insist on a multi-agency review of their case if they have reported the problem three times in the past six months and yet the problem has not yet been resolved
Any incidence of abuse or violence should be reported to the police. The police and local authorities have a significant range of powers and we expect these to be used, putting the needs of victims at the heart of their response, promptly and proportionately.