The government is seriously looking at making landlords who start to rent out their properties in Airbnb style short lets, will have to apply for planning permission.

This will not be applied in retrospect or for long term lettings, however those landlords with Airbnb style short lets would have to apply for planning consent if the plan is passed into law.

A decision should be taken before October’s Conservative party conference.

The government’s plan was revealed by the Daily Mail’s story during the weekend which quoted government sources and also brought to light another two measures, which Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is considering for his project to support and help local housing markets.

The two accompanying measures are to award councils extra powers to prohibit new-build homes being sold as holiday properties, as well to encourage an increase of new build homes that must be ‘affordable’ for the local community.

Currently authorities only have powers to stop new-builds being sold as second homes in the local plans but only if the ban is supported in a community referendum.

The newspaper reports their government source stressed that although ministers are “not anti-second homes” there is real concern for areas where “high levels of second home ownership are blamed for pricing local people out of the housing market.”

There is an increased momentum in critics of Airbnb and other short lets practises becoming progressively outspoken and preparing to take action. The Scottish Government is making known that it intends to introduce tighter controls on Airbnb and short lets which could involve licensing and planning consent.

In Cornwall there are real issues with the increasing numbers of former council homes being used as short-lets, and politicians of all parties are extremely concerned by it causing a massive housing shortage in holiday/tourist areas of the UK.

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