Short-term holiday lets and the planning system
Sharing your experiences and insights for a Parliamentary debate
On Tuesday 23 May 2023, Kevin Foster MP led a Westminster Hall debate entitled 'Short-term holiday lets and the planning system'.
To inform his debate, he asked the public to share their experiences of how short-term holiday lets have affected housing availability in their communities.
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. Kevin Foster MP referred to survey respondents in the debate and quoted several of them directly:
Read the debate transcript:
Watch the debate:
Feedback:
If you contributed to this exercise, please answer a couple of brief questions about your experience of taking part:
The Government's response
The Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Rachel Maclean MP, responded to the debate on behalf of the Government. She addressed the Government’s current policy agenda and future ambitions related to the debate topic.
Watch or read her full speech for details on a range of topics including:
- The consultation on the ‘Introduction of a use class for short-term lets and associated permitted development rights’. This seeks views on planning measures to give local authorities in England greater control over the number of short-term lettings in their area, where this is an issue (consultation closes 7 June 2023)
- A new registration scheme for short-term let properties in England. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill includes a power for the Secretary of State to establish a registration scheme. The Government is consulting on the scope and design of the registration scheme (consultation closes 7 June 2023)
- New legislation requiring properties to be let out for at least 70 days during the previous year before they can be assessed for business rates rather than council tax
- The new Renters (Reform) Bill, which, among other reforms, will abolish section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. This will ensure that landlords are not able to evict tenants simply to turn the property into a holiday let.
The House of Commons Library briefing paper on The growth in short-term lettings (England) provides further information on these issues.
Ahead of the debate, Kevin Foster MP gave the following statement:
"Increasing numbers of short term lets in tourism hotspots, including in my own constituency of Torbay, has led to concerns of strains on local housing markets.
"High numbers of short-term lets are creating difficulty for local people looking to rent a property long-term. A shortage of suitable long-term accommodation is resulting in local people sometimes having no choice but to live in poor quality housing at a high price.
"I am leading this debate to raise with the Minister for Housing and Planning, whether consideration should be given to introducing planning restrictions on short-term lets. This would ensure both the housing needs of local people are met, whilst retaining a supply of properties for holidaymakers.
"This debate will allow for discussion on whether planning rules should be introduced to ensure a balance between demands of the tourism industry and demands of housing for local people.
"In preparation for my debate I'd be grateful to hear about your experiences or insights on this issue."
How it works
How your contributions are shared
In these exercises, members of the public who have signed relevant petitions or are subscribed to parliamentary newsletters are invited to share their experiences and ideas.
These are passed on to the MP leading the debate, who may refer to them directly in their speeches.
Find other petitions on the Petitions website
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What happens next?
If you shared your email in the survey, we’ll send you an update after the debate with links to watch it, read the transcript, and information about the Government's response.
Lisa, Ian and Charlotte contributed to previous debates on topics like the menopause and pensions advice:
What is a Westminster Hall Debate?
Westminster Hall is the second Chamber of the House of Commons.
Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Any MP can take part in a Westminster Hall debate.
The topic for this debate was nominated by the Backbench Business Committee. The Committee give backbenchers (MPs who aren’t ministers or shadow ministers) an opportunity to secure a debate on a topic of their choice, either in the main House of Commons Chamber or Westminster Hall.
The debate will take place on a ‘general debate' motion expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'. This means that the debate won’t end in a vote on a particular action or decision.
How Parliament works: Westminster Hall debates.
Parliamentary resources and activity
Relevant research from the House of Commons Library:
- The growth in short-term lettings (England) (January 2022)
- Second homes and holiday-lets in rural communities (January 2022)
- Availability of affordable housing in Devon and Cornwall (April 2022)
Relevant committee inquires:
- House of Lords Built Environment Committee: Short-term lettings (February 2022)
Relevant Parliamentary Bills
- Renters (Reform) Bill (May 2023)
- Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (May 2022)
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