1,000 signatures reached
To: Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government - Robert Jenrick
Homes not Hotels! Demand mandatory data sharing by short term lets companies
The Government to enforce mandatory data sharing by all holiday let companies so that councils throughout the country can crack down on short term lets and prioritise homes not hotels
Why is this important?
It's been revealed that 1 in 50 homes in London are now holiday lets, meaning families and those working in the capital are being forced out of their homes and facing higher rents.
Right now, if a home in London is rented out on the holiday let market for more than 90 days in the course of a year then the landlord is required to apply for planning permission to let it out to tourists.
However, because there are loads of holiday let companies out there, landlords can bounce from Airbnb to HomeStay to Hostmaker and to FlipKey without regulation. Cash-strapped local councils don't have the staff or the data to track down landlords that are breaking the law.
The rise of holiday lets is growing throughout England, and councils outside London have even fewer powers to do anything about it.
The massive rise in companies like Airbnb and HomeStay means more evictions for long term tenants, less secure private rented housing available for Londoners and rents are being pushed up.
How it will be delivered
Deliver to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
