The Government has announced two consultations looking at proposals to regulate short-term holiday lets such as Airbnbs - following a campaign in York.
York Central MP Rachael Maskell introduced a Private Members Bill to Parliament last year in a bid to tackle the impact she says short term holiday lets are having on York.
The Bill set out to license such premises and enable local authorities to introduce controls and inspections. The Bill received its second reading in December 2022.
Alongside this, Rachael Maskell spent six months on the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill Committee making the case for controlling short term holiday lets, with the aim of ensuring that the city can curb the impact of them in York. The MP also held meetings with ministers, including the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, to discuss the challenges that York experiences and how this should be managed.
The first consultation seeks to use the planning system to allow for short term holiday lets whereby planning permission will be required for a change of ‘use class’ which could slow down the growth of Airbnbs. There is also a question whereby control zones could be introduced which could create areas where these lets are disallowed. A new ‘use class’ would also open up opportunities for a new council tax band too.
The second consultation seeks to enable local authorities to have a registration scheme whereby ‘Airbnb’ owners would have to provide data to operate, including safety certification, certain conditions that have to be applied and a fee paid. The Government has also adopted an option for fines to be paid or registration removed if conditions are breached.
Maskell said: "I was determined to see the law change over short term holiday lets and these two Government consultations are the next step of the journey. Between the two consultations, my Bill has been adopted - and over the coming days I will study the detail.
"I will be engaging with residents across my constituency to ensure that they can provide the fullest possible response to this consultation and will hold public engagement events so that residents can really engage with the content of the consultation.
“This is a really important step for York and it goes to show what an MP can achieve when they listen to their communities and fight hard in Parliament on their behalf.
"We still have a long way to go to see the consultation turn into law, but I am pleased that residents in York have been heard and my work has paid off.”
Both of the consultations can be accessed online on the Government website.
Residents will need to respond to the consultations by the end of June 6, 2023.
Rachael Maskell will also be announcing public engagement events in the near future.
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