Michael Gove this week announced a potentially huge shake-up of the UK’s short-term rental system which facilitates hundreds of thousands of staycations every year.

The housing secretary has laid out a policy which, if passed into law and adopted by councils, would require property owners to obtain planning permission to convert existing homes into short-term holiday accommodation.

This comes amid concerns about people in tourist hotspots being “pushed out” of their towns because of a lack of available housing, with numerous property owners using platforms like Airbnb to let out homes.

Here, Yahoo News UK sets out the plans, why the government wants to introduce them… and why there has been a backlash from hosts.
What are the plans?

Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has proposed “introducing planning permission for an existing home to start to be used as a short-term let”. This would come in the form of a “change of use” application.

Planning permission has to be obtained from local authorities, whose planning committees take into account the merits of each application as well as any objections from neighbours.
People enjoy the weather at Derwentwater in the Lake District National Park near Keswick. Picture date: Saturday June 5, 2021.

However, under the plans, property owners may also be able to let out their homes for a limited number of nights per year – either 30, 60 or 90 – without the need for planning permission.

Meanwhile, the planning controls would not be compulsory: the government said local authorities could choose not to use them.

The plans only apply to England and the government has launched a consultation which will last until 7 June.

Credit Yahoo News