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UK: Chris Bryant MP, minister of state for media, tourism and creative industries, has confirmed that an anticipated, statutory short-term lets registration scheme in England is set to come into force “very soon”.
Due to come in later this year, the registration scheme will require property owners and landlords of short-term lets in England to submit details including the address of a property, contact details, number of nights stayed in in total on an annual basis, and proof of compliance with safety and quality minimum regulations for gas, furniture, electrical, boiler and fire safety. All listings on online portals such as Airbnb and Booking.com will also be required by law to include the registration reference numbers for their properties.
The register is also designed to identify “under the radar” holiday lets that may not be being rented out as primary residences and that may be rented out for more than the legal 90 days without planning permission [as is the case in London], as well as to create a more ‘level playing field’ to bring short-term lets in line with the safety and quality standards enforced for other lodging providers such as hotels and B&Bs.
Bryant added that the goal of the registration scheme is to ensure that there is “a really strong visitor economy, but we do not want to undermine local housing strategies”.
According to the minister, the government is working on creating a new separate planning class for short-term lets, as well as establishing more robust powers for local authorities to enforce those measures. Short-term rental property owners and landlords will likely have to apply for planning permission if they are renting out for the first time and the property / properties are not their main or sole residence.
The short-term lets registration scheme will launch nationally later this year, now that the digital register is almost ready to go live. However, Bryant said that there were still some “technical” elements to be resolved before the legislation can formally be rolled out.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had previously pledged his commitment in Parliament to introducing a short-term lets registration scheme in England, prior to his ousting in a General Election to the Labour Party last summer.
Meanwhile, in a further bid to alleviate a housing crisis, the National Trust is set to be urged to open up all of its suitable holiday homes in Cornwall as long-term lets for rent, according to The Packet – Falmouth. The motion will be presented at a Cornwall Council meeting next week, at a time when there are 24,300 holiday let properties in the county but around 27,000 people are currently on a housing waiting list there.
