It has been revealed that owners of second homes may be prohibited from renting them out on hotel websites like Airbnb.
The action is being explored as a part of a crackdown on short-term rentals that are driving up housing values in tourist-friendly areas to unaffordable levels.
Levelling-up The plans, which would give regional mayors authority to limit the amount of people renting out vacation homes, are being developed by Secretary Michael Gove.
According to The Times, the idea also advances the government’s devolution policy, which gives local governments additional authority.
Anyone intending to rent their home out temporarily would be required by the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill’s amendment to apply for planning permission under the change of use clause.
Bob Seely, Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, said: ‘We have got to find a way of protecting communities and we are in the market for sensible ideas that can help.
‘Places like Devon, Cornwall, the Isle of Wight and the Lake District have lived too long with the problem of hollowed-out communities devoid of life apart from a few months of the year.
‘What we need is creative ideas to solve some of these problems.’
The Scottish Parliament passed legislation in January enabling local governments to establish a fee-paying registration scheme for owners to list their properties for rent on websites like AirBnB. The same councils have the authority to enact planning regulations that call for a change in use.
Cornwall Council reported in September of last year that over 62 percent of the $170 million in business assistance received by second-home owners during the pandemic went to landlords residing outside the county.
Councilman Andrew George of the Liberal Democrats asked that those who use their Cornish homes as a “investment or leisure toy” pay back the money.
David Harris, the council’s deputy leader, concurred and described the benefit as “just wrong and unfair.”
In the same meeting, it was revealed that 13,255 second houses were listed on Cornwall Council’s database for council tax, with 11,081 of those listed as vacation rentals and 8,953 receiving business rates relief.
According to statistics, Cornwall is home to 17% of England’s second houses despite having only 1% of the country’s population.
Conservative MPs are expressing concern that the issue of second homes is becoming so important to their constituents who reside in beach and rural getaways that it could determine the outcome of the party’s performance at the next general election.
Although worries about vacation houses driving up housing prices have been widely documented for years, experts claim a surge in online reservations for UK vacations following the pandemic has worsened the problem.