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A mandatory short-term lets registration scheme would ensure a level playing field for accommodation operators, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hospitality and Tourism has said in a new report.
The report, which looked into short-term lets and the visitor economy, concluded that the scheme would solve “numerous” existing issues, including lack of data on short-term lets and insufficient transparency as to the location and function of short-term lets.
The report was released following an evidence session on the issue, which concluded that it is “essential” that each short-term let is regulated to the same standard as the wider accommodation sector.
As a result, the APPG recommended that the government establish a national set of aggregated data on short-term lets in England and allow local authorities to enforce compliance of registered short-term let properties against health, safety and other relevant legislation.
It also recommended that the scheme should collect comprehensive data, including key property information in order to “enforce clear and proportionate penalties”.
Simon Jupp MP, chair of the hospitality and tourism APPG, said: “The accommodation sector has seen such rapid change over the past 15 years, with digital platforms leading to a boom in the number of short-term lets operating.
“The hospitality and tourism APPG fully supports the government’s decision to introduce a registration scheme and we are recommending in this report that it is implemented nationally and made mandatory for all letting businesses.”
He added: “Requirements to be registered before being allowed to feature on digital platforms would provide vital protections for consumers and build greater confidence into the accommodation market.”
