Short-term Lets Regulation 2026-09-03
2026-09-03
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The regulation of short-term lets in communities is a growing concern, especially regarding lease breaches, antisocial behaviour, and the displacement of local residents. There is no established method to identify short-term lets for enforcement.
What steps her Department is taking to improve the regulation of short-term lets. Over the summer, the abuse of short-term lets in my community has continued with breaches of lease, antisocial behaviour, subletting of private rented properties and social housing, and even short-term lets hosting brothels. We still do not have a way of identifying where these lets are so that enforcement action can be taken, nor do we have a way of implementing London's 90-day cap on lets, so will the Secretary of State please do all she can to make it a priority to tackle these serious harms? Can she tell us when the register will go live, and will she work with those of us affected and local councils so that we can find solutions for our communities?
I assure my hon. Friend that we certainly will. The problem that he points to is a problem across the country. I recognise it in my own constituency of Wigan, where the council has taken decisive action to clamp down on houses in multiple occupation. What we have seen instead is short-term lets springing up to get around the ban, which is causing havoc in local communities. I can reassure my hon. Friend that in his first week in the job the Prime Minister asked me to accelerate this work, and that work is now continuing apace. In any case, the register will be up and running in full by March.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer provided reassurance and context but did not specify any concrete actions or timeline beyond the general commitment to accelerating work and the register going live by March.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The issue of short-term lets continues to affect communities with lease breaches, antisocial behaviour, subletting of private and social housing, and even short-term lets hosting brothels. There is no established method to identify these lets for enforcement.
Over the summer, the abuse of short-term lets in my community has continued with breaches of lease, antisocial behaviour, subletting of private rented properties and social housing, and even short-term lets hosting brothels. We still do not have a way of identifying where these lets are so that enforcement action can be taken, nor do we have a way of implementing London's 90-day cap on lets, so will the Secretary of State please do all she can to make it a priority to tackle these serious harms? Can she tell us when the register will go live, and will she work with those of us affected and local councils so that we can find solutions for our communities?
I assure my hon. Friend that we certainly will. The problem that he points to is a problem across the country. I recognise it in my own constituency of Wigan, where the council has taken decisive action to clamp down on houses in multiple occupation. What we have seen instead is short-term lets springing up to get around the ban, which is causing havoc in local communities. I can reassure my hon. Friend that in his first week in the job the Prime Minister asked me to accelerate this work, and that work is now continuing apace. In any case, the register will be up and running in full by March.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer provided reassurance and context but did not specify any concrete actions or timeline beyond the general commitment to accelerating work and the register going live by March.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
In rural areas, the growth of short-term lets is displacing local families and workers from the rented sector, leading to the hollowing out of rural communities. There is a need to ensure that new regulation protects the rental stock from being removed from the market.
In rural areas such as Glastonbury and Somerton, the growing number of short-term lets is displacing local families and workers from the rented sector, hollowing out our rural communities. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to make sure that any new regulation protects rural rented stock from being removed from the market?
That is precisely why we are bringing forward the measure to introduce a register of short-term lets. 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, including in the hon. Lady's constituency, where there is a real need for local housing for local people, and local leaders should have the power to provide that.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer provided context about the need for local leaders to have power to shape their areas but did not specify concrete steps or mechanisms to protect rural rented stock.
Response accuracy