A HUGE jump in the number of holiday lets in York, plus a planned Government shake-up of the private rental market, will have a big impact on renters.

According to Guy Coggrave, who is managing director of estate agent GSC Grays, Government plans for the biggest shake-up of the private rental market for 30 years could drive more landlords out of the sector and further increase holiday lets.

His remarks come as a BBC Survey about the holiday let market found York has one of the largest increase in holiday let properties since 2019.

The survey comes shortly after the Government announced the biggest shake up of the rental market for 30 years and GSC Grays believe the changes will further reduce the number of properties available for private rent.

Among the councils who responded to the BBC, there was a 40 per cent increase - from 19,543 in 2018 to 27,424 last year. The Scarborough council area, which includes Whitby, had the highest number of holiday lets, rising from 2,032 in 2018 to 2,913 in 2021 with the East Riding of Yorkshire up 51 per cent, from 549 to 831 and the City of York up 49 per cent from 448 to 669.

Mr Coggrave said: “Landlords will need to consider the implications of the pending legislation carefully before renewing any existing tenancies or offering properties to let in the future. We expect this will lead to more properties being sold or used as holiday lets and therefore lost to the private rental sector, which conversely may lead to increased rents and living pressures for renters.

“We support the government’s objective to ensure all tenants have homes that are fit for purpose, however, we fear the White Paper, which is unlikely to come into legislation before spring next year, will drive more private landlords out of the sector and increase the number of properties being sold or used as holiday lets.

“The private rental sector has had to adjust to significant legislative changes over the last few years such as meeting the minimum energy efficiency standards through to losing the ability to offset interest payments from an income tax perspective. In our experience this has driven many landlords - due to the capital investment required and or the returns that can be achieved - to reconsider owning rental properties with many opting to sell and make the most of the current buoyant market. Others have chosen to capitalise on the recent demand for UK holidays and have converted their properties to holiday lets.”

Government ministers have launched a consultation into the impact of short-term holiday lets on local communities and the housing market in England with Housing minister Stuart Andrew saying: “Holiday let sites have helped boost tourism across the country, but we need to make sure this doesn’t drive residents out of their communities.”