Landlords and operators of short-term holiday accommodation in England will be required to register their properties under a new mandatory scheme from March next year.
The registration date was confirmed by Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy, who said Prime Minister Andy Burnham had asked her to speed up the plans shortly after taking office.
The government says the scheme is intended to give local communities and councils greater oversight of short-term rentals and help balance tourism with the need for housing for local residents.
How the New Register Will Work
Short-let operators will have to provide information about themselves and their accommodation before being issued with a registration number.
A fee will also apply to the registration process. Once registered, the number will need to be displayed when the property is advertised or offered as short-term accommodation.
Local authorities will have access to information collected through the scheme. This is expected to help councils understand how short-term lets are affecting housing in their areas, plan local services and identify properties that are not complying with the rules.
Nandy told MPs that the government wants local communities to have more influence over how short-term rentals operate in their areas.
She said some locations may benefit from having more short-term accommodation to support tourism, while others may need to prioritise housing for local people.
Concerns Over Short-Let Abuse
The plans come amid concerns from MPs about the impact of short-term rentals on local communities.
Labour MP Joe Powell said problems involving short-lets had continued over the summer in his constituency. He highlighted issues including lease breaches, anti-social behaviour and properties being sublet without permission.
He also raised concerns about private rented and social housing being used for short-term accommodation, as well as cases where short-let properties had allegedly been used to operate brothels.
Powell argued that councils currently lack sufficient information about where these properties are located, making enforcement more difficult.
He also pointed to London’s existing 90-day limit on short-term letting, saying there is currently no effective way to identify properties that may be breaching the restriction.
Councils to Gain More Information
Nandy acknowledged the concerns and said she would work with local authorities to address problems caused by short-term lets.
She said some properties had been “springing up” in ways that allowed operators to get around existing restrictions, creating difficulties for communities.
The proposed registration system is intended to improve transparency by giving councils access to more information about short-term accommodation operating in their areas.
This could make it easier for local authorities to assess the effect of short-lets on the availability of housing and take action where operators fail to comply with the rules.
Different Rules Across the UK
England is not the only part of the UK introducing tighter controls on short-term accommodation.
Scotland already operates a national licensing scheme for short-term lets, requiring operators to obtain a licence before continuing to provide accommodation.
Wales is also introducing a registration system. From next month, businesses and individuals taking bookings for overnight visitor accommodation will have to register with the Welsh Revenue Authority.
The introduction of England’s mandatory register next March therefore represents another significant change for landlords and holiday-let operators, who will need to ensure their properties are properly registered before continuing to advertise them as short-term accommodation.
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