Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of resources available to local authorities to investigate complaints relating to the operation of short-term holiday lets.

Local authorities have powers to take enforcement action in relation to health and safety hazards in residential premises, including those let on a short term basis, and they have a duty to take action in relation to hazards at the most dangerous ‘category 1’ level.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) applies to relevant short-term holiday let accommodation where the premises fall within its scope. Responsible Persons for such premises are required to undertake and record a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment amongst other duties.

The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is not ringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities such as enforcement in relation to health and safety hazards.