CIH calls for ‘tourism tax’ and regulation to curb short-term rentals
The Chartered Institute of Housing has called for regulation of Airbnb-style short-term lets to protect the private rented sector and longer-term rental residents.
It recommended a “modest tourism tax”, caps in the planning system and better data for local authorities to keep track of short-term let growth.
CIH’s 2019 UK Housing Review, produced by the University of Sheffield, said there was “cause for concern” with PRS residents offering short-term lets, which lead to rising rents and local property values.
The Chartered Institute of Housing has called for regulation of Airbnb-style short-term lets to protect the private rented sector and longer-term rental residents.
It recommended a “modest tourism tax”, caps in the planning system and better data for local authorities to keep track of short-term let growth.
CIH’s 2019 UK Housing Review, produced by the University of Sheffield, said there was “cause for concern” with PRS residents offering short-term lets, which lead to rising rents and local property values.
It also said non-compliant hosts risk violating insurance, fire safety and planning permission regulations, as well as loss of communal space and shared facilities to incoming visitors.
CIH said Airbnb alone has 77,000 lets in Greater London, 55.4% of which are entire homes. These homes are focused within the inner boroughs, with 8,328 in Westminster, 7,513 in Tower Hamlets and 5,907 in Hackney.
CIH said that these high concentrations create ultra-desirable neighbourhoods for tourists but risk resident displacement from local communities.
CIH chief executive Terrie Alafat CBE said unregulated digital platforms posed “a real risk of loss of much-needed housing from the private rented sector to the short-term lets market, and displacement of long-term residents.”
She said: “We need to find a way to accommodate the housing needs of individual residents while allowing tourism to continue in our most popular locations. More regulation could be necessary if growth continues and local authorities still have no way to accurately monitor numbers.”
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