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 25 September 2017 (HL1596), how many London boroughs have sought authority to make a direction to remove the freedom to short-term let for 90 nights from properties in the last year; (1) on how many occasions, (2) in respect of how many properties, and (3) with what outcomes, such authority was sought; what process is available to long-term residential tenants to request that their borough commence that procedure; what obligation boroughs have to respond to any such request; and what efforts they have made to ensure London boroughs are aware of this procedure and have made information about it available to long-term residential tenants.

Under section 25B of the of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, a local authority can seek Secretary of State’s consent to issue a direction that the right to short-term let without planning permission for up to 90 nights in a year is not to apply to particular residential properties or to residential premises situated in a specified area. No London borough has sought a consent in the last year.

Directions may only be given if it is necessary to protect the amenity of the locality. This is likely to be where there has been successful action against a statutory nuisance related to short-term letting; or there has been successful enforcement action against a breach of section 25 or 25A of the 1973 Act. If residents consider there are circumstances that would meet the criteria this can be raised with the relevant Borough. These criteria for giving a Direction are set out in the Planning Practice Guidance on the Gov.UK website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/when-is-permission-required Paragraph: 111 Reference ID: 13-111-20160519.