Government launches consultation on use class for short-term holiday lets

The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to introduce a use class for short-term lets and associated permitted development rights, allowing councils to control the number of Airbnbs in their areas.

According to the consultation, the proposed changes are intended to tackle the rise in the number of short-term lets in tourist areas, "which are reported as impacting adversely on the availability and affordability of homes to buy or to rent for local people".

Launched on Wednesday (12 April), the document seeks responses in regard to the following:

• The introduction of a new use class for short-term lets
• The potential introduction of a new permitted development right for the change of use from a dwellinghouse to a short-term let
• The potential introduction of a new permitted development right for the change of use from a short-term let to a dwellinghouse
• How a flexibility for homeowners to let out their home for a number of nights in a calendar year could be provided through either changes to the dwellinghouse use class or an additional permitted development right
• The introduction of a planning application fee for the development of new build short term lets

In detailing its concerns around the rise of short-term lets, the Government's consultation document claims there "is a wider public interest in supporting sustainable communities and providing homes to rent or to buy".

It added: "We consider therefore that there is a clear rationale for planning changes to give local communities greater ability to control the number of short term lets in their area and support the retention of existing dwellinghouses to buy or to rent, and to facilitate where possible short term lets returning to such use.

"Where particular areas want to use these planning tools to effect change, they will be able to do so, where it is justified locally. In those other areas where there is no local issue, the planning changes should not adversely impact on existing flexibilities for use of a dwellinghouse."

Under the proposed tools, short-term lets may be considered to impact on the character of the premises and the area.

In addition, properties used for short-term lets can have particular impacts arising from "the churn of people," the document adds. These impacts include heightened noise and traffic from the arrivals and departures, the storage and handling of waste, noise from parties, inconvenience to neighbours, and the burden on local authority resources.

The consultation closes on 7 June 2023.

Efforts to curb the rise of short-term lets are also being considered by the Welsh Government, which launched a consultation on a licensing scheme in December 2022.

The proposed change to Welsh law on the matter would require short-term holiday let owners to obtain a licence.

Announcing the consultation, the Welsh Government said the primary aim of the scheme is to establish a "level playing field" for all visitor accommodation businesses, as there are concerns that certain parts of the sector do not meet or comply with their statutory obligations.

Adam Carey