COMMUNITIES NEED DECENT HOMES... NOT BROTHELS AND PARTY PADS

WHAT is not to love about the shiny new, digital ‘sharing economy’ that Deliveroos dinner to your home, Ubers you to where you are going and Airbnbs you your exciting holiday accommodation – or even lets you make a few quid on the side renting your own place out?

Some argue that there are only upsides. But we are starting to recognise that there are downsides too, and that a better balance needs to be struck between all the different interests with a stake in the matter.

Airbnb is only the most familiar of many organisations offering short-let or holiday accommodation that are having a profound impact in towns and cities across the world, including the UK.

Of course, it’s great that people can easily rent their homes for a few weeks here and there – no one is against that. But in practice, the short-let accommodation sector goes way beyond that.

In my borough alone, 3,600 properties are let on Airbnb (doubling in two years) and 1,300 properties at any one time are being investigated for breaching the legal 90-day annual maximum for lettings. As landlords can make far more money this way than from offering a standard tenancy, more evidence is growing of lettings made by people or companies with multiple properties.

So why does it matter? Because residential neighbourhoods are turning into an extension of the hospitality industry without the necessary checks and support.

Complaints brought to me range from security and fire safety concerns to noise nuisance and rubbish dumping as visitors come and go every couple of days.

Leases and insurance policies can be i nvalidated. At worst, lettings for parties and pop- up brothels form part of the mix.

Most of the time, it is simply that permanent residents feel they are now living in a hotel.

Cash-strapped councils have to pay to deal with the problems and try to enforce the law.

I have introduced two Bills into Parliament to try to redress the balance, asking only that councils should be notified of an intention to offer a short let, so at least the councils can monitor where lettings are taking place and stand a chance of being able to prevent the illegal ones.

Next, I plan to set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Short Lets to create a forum to discuss these issues.

What we need to find is a better balance between those who want legitimately to enjoy the benefits of this part of the ‘sharing economy’ with those who are disadvantaged by it. Other countries and cities across the world have taken the lead on this.

For example, in Berlin, landlords need a permit from their council before they can list on Airbnb. They face fines of up to €100,000 for breaking the rules.

The strict restrictions are credited with freeing up 8,000 apartments to the residential property market. With our shortage in the UK, we could certainly do with something like that here.

The rise and rise of Airbnb is fundamentally changing the make-up of our communities, yet neither residents nor local representatives can exercise any control over the situation. Something must be done.