Housing Secretary Michael Gove to push through crackdown on Yorkshire holiday lets

Housing Secretary Michael Gove will announce that people wanting to use their property as a short-let holiday home will have to get permission from their local council.

The new use category for homes will apply only to people wanting to rent out their home for more than 90 days in a year, and will involve creating a mandatory national register to give councils more information about the activity in their area.

The Government announced a consultation on the policy last April, with further details expected in the coming weeks ahead of changes being brought in from this summer.

Announcing the crackdown on holiday lets, Mr Gove, inset said: “These changes will ensure people have more control over housing in their cherished communities.

“We know short-term lets can be helpful for the tourist economy, but we are now giving councils the tools to bring them under control so that local people can rent those homes as well.

“These changes strike a balance between giving local people access to more affordable housing, while ensuring the visitor economy continues to flourish.”

Tourism minister Julia Lopez said: “Short-term lets provide flexibility for homeowners and give tourists more accommodation options than ever before, but this should not prevent local people from being able to buy or rent homes in their area.

“The Government is committed to getting the balance right to ensure both local people and our visitor economy can thrive.”

Holiday lets and second homes have become an issue for local residents in tourist areas, especially on the Yorkshire coast, with the number of permanent residents in places such as Scarborough reducing dramatically.

The number of holiday lets in England rose by 40 per cent between 2018 and 2021 following the popularity of companies such as Airbnb, which allows people to easily rent out their home while they are away.

There are over 8,000 second homes in North Yorkshire, with the county council announcing proposals in 2022 to charge double council tax on second homes in the area, in a bid to encourage people to rent or sell their homes to help with local residents struggling to find affordable housing.

The scheme is expected to bring in £14m each year, according to the council, which it said would be spent on housing.

Airbnb general manager for northern Europe Amanda Cupples said: “The introduction of a short-term lets register is good news for everyone.

“Families who host on Airbnb will benefit from clear rules that support their activity, and local authorities will get access to the information they need to assess and manage housing impacts and keep communities healthy, where necessary.

“We have long led calls for the introduction of a host register and we look forward to working together to make it a success.”

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesman said: “The Government also intends to introduce associated permitted development rights – one allowing for a property to be changed from a short-term let to a standard residential dwelling, and a second that would allow a property to be changed to a short-term let.

“Local authorities would be able to remove these permissions and require full planning permission if they deem it necessary.

“Both of these measures are focused on short-term lets, and therefore the planning changes and the register will not affect hotels, hostels or B&Bs.”