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.

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.