Speaking in Parliament last week, Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, said the register would be “up and running in full by March”.
Nandy said the government was “committed to implementing the regulation of short-term lets”, adding that this would put power back into people’s hands so they could determine the right balance of tourism benefits and housing needs.
When asked by John Powell MP about the “abuse” of short-term lets, Nandy said in her own constituency of Wigan, short-term lets had been “springing up” to get around the council’s clampdown on houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
Last August, a requirement was introduced for all HMOs to have planning permission, regardless of property size, enabling the council to have more oversight over these properties.
Sarah Dyke MP asked what steps were being taken to ensure rural rental stock was not removed, and Nandy said this was why the register was being introduced.
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Nandy said: “We believe that local leaders need to be able to understand what is happening in their local areas and to shape that in order to have the benefits of tourism.
“Some areas may want to have more short-term lets available to support the tourism industry, but there are other areas where there is a real need for local housing for local people, and local leaders should have the power to provide that.”
The short-term lets register is expected to inform local authorities on the number of properties in the area and their location. The information will be used to assess the impact of short-term lets on the community and enforce health and safety requirements.
