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UKH has called for the mandatory registration for short-term lets in a bid to drive real change and level the accommodation playing field, after the government’s consultation on the scheme was launched.
The launch of a government consultation into introducing a mandatory registration scheme for short-term holiday lets in England follows concerns about inconsistencies within the regulatory framework for the guest accommodation sector: unlike with hotels and B&Bs.
The government also noticed that it is “difficult to monitor compliance” with key health and safety regulations by short-term lets given the lack of an authoritative data source.
The open consultation, which was launched on 12 April, is seeking views on the introduction of an opt-in registration scheme for local authorities or a mandatory national scheme, and to decide which types of properties should receive an exemption.
Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the changes would be introduced through secondary legislation and would apply in England only.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said that we have argued for a long time that a registration scheme for short-term lets is essential to ensure “parity” across accommodation in the UK.
She said: “Many businesses across the short-term letting market are not operating to the same legal standards as hotels, and a mandatory scheme is desperately needed to bring them up to scratch.
“I’m delighted that the government is taking action in England. Consumers deserve to know that wherever they stay, they will be experiencing the high standards of health and safety, fire safety and accessibility that they rightly expect.”
She added: “For that reason, the government needs to ensure this scheme delivers change and both registration and inspections must be mandatory. An opt-in scheme will simply provide a loophole that will allow short-term lets to continue to fall well below the high standards that have been set by hotels for decades.”
