Chickens come home to roost as government consults on holiday lets

The Government is to launch a review of the impact that Airbnb holiday lets have on neighbouring properties and the UK housing market.

The review was announced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and will consider proposals such as spot checks on rental properties to ensure they observe noise and antisocial behaviour rules.

This exercise, which will last for three months, will also look into whether a self-certification scheme, which hosts would need to sign up to before they moved into the holiday lets market, could be introduced.

Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The growth in holiday lets is a direct consequence of the Government’s attack on long-term rented housing.

“Tax policies actively discourage long-term investment in the private rented sector by landlords. With a Housing Secretary that wants to shrink the size of the sector, it is little wonder many landlords have jumped ship to the holiday lets market.

“As a result, for many in holiday hot spots finding a long-term home to rent is all but impossible. With demand for such housing at a record high, all it is doing is increasing rents when tenants can least afford it.

“The Government needs to end its anti-landlord attitude and develop pro-growth tax plans to help renters access the housing they need.”