EDITOR'S COMMENT
• Talk of tightening short-term letting legislation in England is gathering pace in the wake of revelations that holiday-let owners are set to be required to obtain planning permission to rent out their properties under new UK Government proposals to protect affordable housing in areas with higher numbers of rental listings.
The plans laid out by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove provisionally mean that local councils will have the ability to block listings of homes on short-term rental platforms, adding that residents were being “pushed out of cherished towns, cities and villages by huge numbers of short-term lets”. A consultation period is currently taking place on how long property owners will be allowed to rent out the home they live in each year, before the plans are expected to come into effect later this year.
Though the announcement had been anticipated, it has still drawn typically contrasting reactions from both sides of the debate. On one hand, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and UKHospitality backed the government's action, with the latter saying that a short-term lets registration scheme must be mandatory to “drive real change and level the accommodation playing field”. On the other hand, Airbnb's Theo Lomas and UK STAA CEO Andy Fenner pledged their support for a registration scheme but added that the legislation must be "proportionate" and that the issue must not become a "political football".
Some people have argued that the news was only a matter of time in England after Scotland introduced its own letting legislation last year. What happens in England, however, may depend on the outcome of a Judicial Review in Scotland which is challenging the new legislation and funds are urgently being raised to take the case to court.
• There are now just nine days until the 2023 Shortyz Awards, which take place this year at the majestic ArcelorMittal Orbit in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Wednesday 26 April. Last week, we announced the 20 shortlists for this year's awards and it has been fantastic to see the far-reaching reaction and support from across the global short-term rental industry as our voting period closed yesterday.
Stay tuned for more announcements this week across our social channels - don't miss out on the Oscars of the short-term rental industry calendar by booking your tickets here.
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