Churches’ Legislation Advisory Service

PROPERTY & PLANNING

Regulation of short-term lettings
For information
DLUHC and DCMS have announced that, in principle, there will be changes to the rules on short-term lettings, presumably in England only. Under the proposals:

• councils will be given greater power to control short-term lets by making them subject to the planning process;
• there will be a mandatory national register to help ensure that accommodation is safe; and
• homeowners will be allowed to let out their own main or sole residence for up to 90 nights a year. The intention of the proposed reforms is to support local people in areas where high numbers of short-term lets are preventing them from finding housing that they can afford to buy or to rent. However, this may impact adversely on (eg) a denomination that wishes to let a parsonage house during an interregnum, or a church property that is no longer required for occupation by a church-worker. [Source: DLUHC/DCMS, 19 February]