Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of regulating short-term holiday lets to help support the sustainability of rural tourism and communities.

The sharing economy has brought many benefits to the tourism sector and wider economy, as well as creating an additional income stream for homeowners. In rural areas, the growth of the sharing economy has enabled travellers to utilise the flexible accommodation options on offer to explore lesser-known rural destinations and make the most of the leisure opportunities they offer. However, we recognise that the increase in short-term letting has also prompted some concerns including the impact on the housing market and local communities, and a sense that new entrants in the market are not being held to the same health and safety standards as, for example, hotels and B&Bs.

The Government’s Call for Evidence on the Short-Term Letting of Tourism Accommodation ran from 29 June to 21 September and analysis of the responses is now underway.

We wanted to hear from a wide range of stakeholders, including local authorities, in order to build a much-needed evidence base on these issues and enable us to develop proportionate policy responses for a future consultation.

With the Call for Evidence now closed, we will now consider the evidence collected and look to provide updates to the sector over the coming months regarding our next steps.