The tourism Minister Chris Bryant has advised that registration for holiday let and short term lets will be coming imminently.

What we know so far

It will be an online register and will see all those who let out homes via holiday lets required to register their properties. It will be designed to help local authorities identify ‘under the radar’ holiday lets and understand how many homes within their boundaries are being used in this way.

Chris Bryant has advised that the scheme for England will be up-and-running ‘very soon’ this year.

It will also be used to stop owners renting out properties which are not their main home for more than 90 days without planning permission. Something that London is
suffering from already.

The register is expected to create a ‘level playing field’. Since it will mean that holiday-let owners will need to bring each property up to the same safety and quality standards to those of other accommodation providers such as hotels and B&Bs. It will encompass all listings on portals such as Airbnb which will be required by law to include the property’s registration reference number.

Property owners, or agents that work for them, will have to provide the address of the property, their contact details, how long it is available to let each year, number of nights people stay at the property in total each year, and proof of adherence to safety and quality minimum regulations including for gas, furniture, electrical, boiler and fire safety.

In future, the Government is also planning to create a new separate planning class for short lets. As in the Renters’ Rights Bill, local authorities will have new and more robust powers enforce the law. It and will also require those letting out properties via short lets for the first time to apply planning permission if it is not their main or sole home.

As ever, if you follow the law there is no issue apart from more form filling!

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