Call for evidence: Tourist accommodation registration scheme in England

The government has launched a call for evidence, ‘Developing a tourist accommodation registration scheme in England’ as part of its ‘Tourism Recovery Plan’. This seeks to explore the benefits and challenges presented by the rise in short-term and holiday letting as seen in England over the last 10 to 15 years. 

The recent growth of online platforms has had a significant impact on the range and volume of guest accommodation on the market, particularly short-term and holiday lets.

While this brings many benefits, it has prompted a range of concerns, including the impact on the housing market and health and safety issues.

In response, some countries and cities have introduced measures such as registration and licensing schemes.

This has led to the current call for evidence, which seeks views and data on the size and shape of the market, as well as the positive and negative impacts of short-term lets. This will aid government in considering whether further regulation is necessary in England.

The call for evidence is designed to gain insight and information on:

• Changes and growth in the short-term letting market.
• Benefits of short-term lets.
• Challenges, including compliance with the existing regulatory framework and housing and community impacts.
• The impact of potential policy responses.

The government will use the responses gathered to assist in developing future policy options.

Responses can be made by anyone, online or by e-mail. The consultation closes on 21 September 2022.

The government intends to consult on specific policy options later in 2022.

Consultation questions

Question 1: Are you able to provide us with evidence illustrating the size and nature of the short-term and holiday letting market in England and/or its regions, and how that has changed over time?

Question 2: What do you consider to be the main benefits of short-term and holiday letting for:

1. Homeowners
2. Consumers
3. Businesses and the wider economy

Question 3: How do you assess levels of compliance with regulations on:

1. Fire safety
2. Gas safety
3. Health and safety
4. Food and drink

within the short-term and holiday letting market in England?

• Option 1: Compliance is very good
• Option 2: Compliance is good
• Option 3: Compliance is fair
• Option 4: Compliance is poor
• Option 5: Compliance is very poor

Question 4: Do you consider there to be a problem with breach of contractual agreements in the short-term and holiday letting market in England? If so, why?

• Option 1: Yes, this is a major problem
• Option 2: Yes, but this is only a minor problem
• Option 3: No, there is no problem

Question 5: Do you consider there to be other legal provisions concerning the supply of short-term and holiday letting to paying guests which are not covered elsewhere in this call for evidence but where there are issues with awareness, compliance and/or enforcement?

• Option 1: Yes
• Option 2: No

Question 6: Do you consider the increase in short-term and holiday letting in England to have had adverse consequences on the housing market?

• Option 1: Yes, this is a major problem
• Option 2: Yes, but this is only a minor problem
• Option 3: No, there is no problem

Question 7: Do you consider noise, anti-social or other nuisance behaviour in short-term and holiday lets in England to be a problem? If so, why?

• Option 1: Yes, this is a major problem
• Option 2: Yes, but this is only a minor problem
• Option 3: No, there is no problem

Question 8: Aside from the impacts on housing and incidents of anti-social/nuisance behaviour, do you consider the increase in short-term and holiday letting in England to have had other adverse impacts on local communities and residents?

• Option 1: Yes
• Option 2: No

Question 9: Which of the following do you consider to be the most appropriate form of response in the short-term letting market?

• Option 1: Do nothing
• Option 2: Provide more information to the sector
• Option 3: Develop a self-certification registration scheme
• Option 4: Develop a registration scheme with light-touch checks
• Option 5: Develop a licencing scheme with physical checks of the premises
• Option 6: Regulatory alternative to a registration system, such as extension of the Deregulation Act 2015

Question 10: What do you consider to be the costs and associated burdens of these options, who would bear the costs and how might they be mitigated?

Question 11: Do you have any insight or evidence on the impact of schemes that are already running, or approaches taken elsewhere in the world?

Question 12: What has been the impact of the Deregulation Act 2015, specifically changes made by section 44 to the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973?

Useful guides on this topic

A landlord? Start here...
You are about to become a landlord. Where do you start and what do you need to do before you buy? What business structure should you use? 

Furnished Holiday Letting
What is Furnished Holiday Letting? How do you qualify for Furnished Holiday Letting? What are the rules for Furnished Holiday Letting?

Buy-to-let ownership: personal v. company? (Subscribers)
What is the most tax-efficient option to own buy-to-let property? Personally or via a company? What are the income and Corporation Tax, CGT, IHT, ATED, SDLT, or VAT issues? With tips on profit extraction and other planning points, case studies and links to further guidance.

Property profits & losses: Toolkit (2022-23)
Our Property profits & losses toolkit takes HMRC's version and adds a great deal more information about what you can claim as an individual.

External link

Call for evidence: Developing a tourist accommodation registration scheme in England