Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the number of short-term lets in the UK.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We recognise that these are extremely difficult conditions for hospitality businesses across the UK, including those in the short term lets market. We also greatly appreciate this market’s work in housing key workers and vulnerable groups during this crisis.
My officials and I continue to engage with short term holiday accommodation stakeholders to monitor the impact. No specific assessment has been made on COVID-19’s effect on the number of short term lets in the UK.
We have worked very closely with accommodation stakeholders to prepare reopening guidance for hotels and other guest accommodation, including short term holiday lets.
As the sector reopens from 4 July onwards, we will continue to engage with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support tourism’s recovery across the UK.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following their announcement of 15 April on changes to the private rental sector, whether it will still be possible for (1) universities, and (2) businesses, to procure short-term lets for people coming from abroad for a defined period; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government is committed to modernising the private rented sector and intends to introduce a new, fairer deal for both landlords and tenants.
Following the recent announcement to put an end to ‘no-fault’ evictions by repealing section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, we will shortly publish a consultation on the details of our package of reforms. We will use the consultation to test whether specific provisions for different types of housing, such as student accommodation are wanted or needed.
Landlords will still be able seek possession using existing grounds under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, including the ground relating to accommodation tied to employment. These reforms will allow the flexibility for renters to move, including for work, if they wish. Tenants will still be able to choose to end the tenancy, as long as they provide requisite notice to the landlord, retaining the flexibility we know is important to some renters.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 19 June (HL Deb, cols 1929–31), what steps, if any, they are taking to control the use of short term lets in leaseholder and tenanted premises in London that were originally social housing where the public sector is now the freeholder and where the contract with the tenant or leaseholder proscribes commercial activity.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Individual leases and tenancy agreements are a matter for landlords and tenants. Landlords should not unreasonably prohibit sub-letting, and the Courts can adjudicate in this matter, taking account of the relevant covenants.
Where permission under the contract is required to sub-let but is not obtained, landlords already have legal routes to enforce the contract and the Government has no plans to introduce additional controls.
Asked by: Lord Beecham (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for extending to properties subject to short or holiday lets, such as those via Air BnB, safety provisions such as those set out in the draft Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
DCLG, in conjunction with the tourism sector and the Chief Fire Officers’ Association, has produced guidance to help small-scale accommodation providers comply with the Order’s provisions and Airbnb make this available to hosts on its website.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 and 20 January (HL3615 and HL4297) and his remarks on 4 March (HL Deb, col 272), which local authorities (1) opposed reform, (2) were not opposed, and (3) expressed no opinion, in response to their consultation on deregulation of short-lets in London; and why they did not provide that information in response to the previous questions from Baroness Gardner of Parkes.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Fifteen London local authorities responded to question 22 of the discussion document on Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector. Eight authorities responded to the effect that they opposed reform of the legislation: Haringey, Enfield, Camden, Westminster, Newham, Redbridge, Lambeth and the City of London. Seven were not opposed to a review: Lewisham, Sutton, Southwark, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Islington and Greenwich. The remaining eighteen of the thirty-three London local authorities did not respond to this question.
This detailed information was not provided in response to the questions on 7 and 20 January, as the Government had not yet concluded its consideration of the responses to the discussion document. The answers provided on 7 and 20 January explained that the Government had yet to publish its formal response to the consultation on the Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector, and that we intended to do so alongside details of our policy on short-term letting in London, prior to Lords Report Stage of the Deregulation Bill. The Government’s response to the discussion document, and proposed policy, was published in a policy paper on 9 February entitled ‘Promoting the sharing economy in London: Policy on short-term use of residential property in London’.
We took into account these representations from London boroughs and others, and as a result, introduced a series of checks and balances as outlined in my Written Ministerial Statement of 9 February 2015, Official Report, HLWS242. These were not in the original consultation paper, but were a consequence of the consultation.