A news service claims that in many UK cities there are now more entire homes listed on Airbnb than there are homeless families in temporary accommodation.
National World says that there are enough Airbnbs listed in Bristol to house the 1,170 households in temporary accommodation, and enough listed in Edinburgh to house the 3,370 households there in temporary accommodation.
The data used by the news service comes from Inside Airbnb.
Greater Manchester was found to have 2,684 properties, equivalent to 62% of households in temporary accommodation, while London had 27,360, equivalent to just under half of these homeless households. Chris Bailey, national campaign manager at the Action on Empty Homes activist group, told National World that the presence of multiple short lets “raises rents, pushes house prices out of reach of those on average incomes and above all limits the availability of affordable homes to rent on a long-term basis; as more and more property is sucked into the short let or Airbnb market – making huge profits for investor owners but housing nobody at all”.
MP demands Airbnb clampdown be introduced immediately
A Liberal Democrat MP is calling on the government to bring forward a clampdown on Airbnb and other short lets. The government has indicated that the proposed measures - which will mean that homeowners who want to list properties on Airbnb or other short let platforms will have to sign up to a register and may have to secure planning consent before letting out - will be contained in the Renters Reform Bill, scheduled for later this year.
But Bath Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse is pushing for the changes related to Airbnbs to be fast tracked and brought forward separately to give councils this power urgently. She says: “I have heard from countless constituents deeply frustrated by the noise and disruptions caused by these short-term lets. It is not right that residents have had to put up with this for so long and I welcome the government’s decision to finally take action on it. The pace at which these regulations will be brought in is concerning, however. They are long overdue and the lack of urgency the government is displaying needs to change. Constituents just trying to get on with their lives are having to put up with noise and other disturbances regularly. This should not be allowed to continue for a moment longer. Saying that we will introduce these changes but you will just have to wait is not good enough. The government needs to stop sitting on its hands, fast track the legislation and put a stop to this cycle of disruption that is impacting so many.”
The proposed planning changes would see a planning use class created for short term lets not used as a sole or main home, alongside new permitted development rights, which will mean planning permission is not needed in areas where local authorities choose not to use these planning controls.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove says: “in too many communities we have seen local people pushed out of cherished towns, cities and villages by huge numbers of short-term lets. I’m determined that we ensure that more people have access to local homes at affordable prices, and that we prioritise families desperate to rent or buy a home of their own close to where they work. I have listened to representations from MPs in tourist hot spots and am pleased to launch this consultation to introduce a requirement for planning permissions for short term lets.”
The new proposals come as the Department for Culture Media and Sport also launches a separate consultation on a new registration scheme for short lets. The scheme aims to “build a picture of how many short-term lets there are and where they are located, to help understand the impact of short-term lets on communities.”
There has been broad support for a registration scheme across the short lets sector. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer comments: “this new world of ultra-flexible short term lets gives tourists more choice than ever before, but it should not come at the expense of local people being able to own their own home and stay local. The government wants to help areas get the balance right, and today we have an incomplete picture of the size and spread of our short term lets market. This consultation on a national registration scheme will give us the data we need to assess the position and enable us to address the concerns communities face.”
Anger over Airbnbs and holiday lets needing planning consent
The new trade body for short lets has reacted angrily to a government plan for AirBnb and other short let hosts to seek planning consent. Andy Fenner, chief executive of the Short Term Accommodation Association, says: “introducing a planning permission requirement completely ignores the contribution short-term rentals make to the economy. Many thousands of small businesses will be affected by these changes if the Government sees them through. It’s important this issue doesn’t become a political football when the short-term rental sector is a key reason why the UK is so attractive to international and domestic tourists. Its role in providing local employment is routinely overlooked and measures to solve housing shortages should instead be focused on building new homes in sufficient numbers.”
The group’s anger follows the publication today by the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities of a formal consultation which proposes the requirement of planning consent for an existing home to start to be used as a short let. It will also consider another option - whether to give owners flexibility to let their home for up to a specified number of nights in a calendar year without the need for planning permission.
Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the planning changes would be introduced through secondary legislation later in the year and would apply in England only. The government says it “wants to ensure the country reaps the benefits of diverse and sustainable accommodation and support the visitor economy, while also protecting local communities and ensuring the availability of affordable housing to rent or buy.”
The proposed planning changes would see a planning use class created for short term lets not used as a sole or main home, alongside new permitted development rights, which will mean planning permission is not needed in areas where local authorities choose not to use these planning controls.
There has been broad support for a registration scheme across the short lets sector.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says, “this new world of ultra-flexible short term lets gives tourists more choice than ever before, but it should not come at the expense of local people being able to own their own home and stay local. The government wants to help areas get the balance right, and today we have an incomplete picture of the size and spread of our short term lets market. This consultation on a national registration scheme will give us the data we need to assess the position and enable us to address the concerns communities face.”
The government claims to have listened to calls from local people in tourist hotspots that they are priced out of homes to rent or to buy and need housing that is more affordable so they can continue to work and live in the place they call home. The register of short term lets is being introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.
The planning changes and the register apply only to residential properties and will not impact on hotels, hostels or B&Bs.
Short Lets Clampdown: Airbnb warns against over the top measures
Airbnb is warning the UK government not to be heavy handed in its planning controls restricting the short lets sector. At the end of last week the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities launched a formal consultation that planning consent would be required for an existing home to be used as a short let.
The government consultation includes another option - whether to give owners flexibility to let their home for up to a specified number of nights in a calendar year without the need for planning permission. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the planning changes would be introduced through secondary legislation later in the year and would apply in England only.
Meanwhile another government division - the Department for Culture Media and Sport - has launched a separate consultation proposing a new mandatory registration scheme for short lets. But AirBnb is not so keen on at least one of the new proposals.
Theo Lomas, Airbnb’s head of public policy in Northern Europe, says, “Airbnb has long called for a national register for short-term lets and we welcome the government taking this forward. We know that registers are clear and simple for everyday Hosts to follow while giving authorities the information they need to regulate effectively. The vast majority of UK Hosts share one home, and almost four in 10 say the earnings help them afford the rising cost of living. We want to work with the government to ensure that any planning interventions are carefully considered, evidence-based, and strike a balance between protecting housing and supporting everyday families who let their space to help afford their home and keep pace with rising living costs.”
Andy Fenner, chief executive of the Short Term Accommodation Association, says, “introducing a planning permission requirement completely ignores the contribution short-term rentals make to the economy. Many thousands of small businesses will be affected by these changes if the government sees them through.”